The Eye of Polyphemus
by Terminatrix T-X
Summary: Being the first part of the Amulet of Life Trilogy. Rogue is working for the CIA. Her mission: to figure out what is written in the famed Eye os Polyphemus. But things are about to take a turn for the worst...COMPLETE!
1. The Eye

Disclaimer: I am not Stan Lee. Therefore, the XME characters within this fic are not mine.  
(((  
Rogue had never been to the art museum in New York before. It was an impressive sight, even in the dim light of the stars and crescent moon. A chill breeze tore through the air, but she barely felt it through all the layers of black she wore.  
Glancing around to make sure she was alone, Rogue dashed across the lawn, coming to a gray box that jutted from the wall. A small padlock held it closed, but a straightened paperclip soon solved that problem. The lid of the box swung open on its hinges, revealing a keypad that controlled the Museums security. Rogue typed in the code, and was rewarded by green letters flashing "ACCESS GRANTED" on the screen. She needed no second urging. Within seconds she had climbed the stairs leading to the entrance, and slowly opened the door. She slid inside, not bothering to turn on a light. Instead, she pulled out a flashlight from her pocket and flicked it on.  
Her footsteps reverberated through the building as she made her way from room to room. Beautiful paintings lined the walls, while sculptures took up the floor space. After fifteen minutes of maneuvering through the statues, she found the one she wanted. It was only about three feet tall, but it rested on a pedestal that raised it to Rogue's eye-level. Carved of smooth, black marble, it was a creature that resembled a man, but was most decidedly not human. The creature stood with his feet spread wide in a battle-stance, brandishing a club with one hand. It was clad in a Greek-style toga and sandals. If one were to look at the creature's limbs, or at his clothes, they would think him a human- until they saw his face. The creature had only one eye, for it was Polyphemus, the famed Cyclops whom Odysseus blinded in The Odyssey.  
Its single eye was made of a ruby that flashed and sparkled in the light of Rogue's flashlight. Even to a casual observer this was an extraordinary gem, but closer examination proved that it was more than merely a ruby. Within the stone were tiny flecks of black, almost impossible to notice if you weren't looking for them.  
Reaching into her pocket, Rogue produced a small switchblade, which she used to pry free the stone. She then pulled a small, velvet bag out of another pocket. She pulled it open, revealing an exact replica of the ruby, sans the black specs. She put the copy into the eye socket of the monster, and dropped the original into her bag, which she returned to her pocket. Then she took a moment to observe her handiwork.  
The replacement ruby was as real as the one Rogue now possessed, and it shone just as brilliantly. Rogue doubted that anyone other than the sculptor himself could tell the difference. Rogue turned lightly on her heel and exited the way she had come in, taking care to enable the security system when she left.  
A half-hour later found Rogue climbing the tree outside her bedroom window. She clamored to a branch that was more-or-less even with the balcony. Slowly, carefully, Rogue stood up. She shuffled sideways along the branch, trying not to look down. She wasn't usually afraid of heights, but teetering two stories above ground on a tree branch that's barely as wide as your palm while trying to sneak back into a house occupied by two telepaths after stealing a ruby worth an amount of money roughly equal to the contents of Fort Knox will make anyone a bit nervous.  
Rogue crouched down on the end of the branch, steadied herself with one hand, and lunged for the balcony. Her right hand shot out, grabbing the railing. She then used her momentum to swing over the balcony, landing expertly. She silently pushed open the double doors leading inside, and entered her room.  
Thankfully Kitty was sound asleep. Rogue hid the velvet bag inside an ornately carved wooden box, which Kitty believed to be a jewelry box. The held a picture of a winged dragon that somehow managed to look both beautiful and deadly.just like its owner. Once the ruby was hidden, Rogue changed into her pajamas, collapsed onto the bed, and was instantly asleep. 


	2. The Keystone

"You are, like, so sluggish this morning, Rogue!" Kitty said as the grouchy Southern bell climbed into the back seat of Jean's SUV, next to Kurt.  
"Ah didn't get a lot of sleep last night, so sue me." She folded her arms across her chest in her famous "I'm-pissed-off-so-leave-me-alone" pose. Unfortunately, Jean was to busy watching the road to notice.  
"Why couldn't you sleep?" Jean's voice was so up-beat that it made Rogue want to hurl.  
"Why do you care?" Rogue snapped.  
"I was just curious," Jean said angrily. "You don't have to get all moody."  
"Ah'll show ya moody," Rogue growled.  
"Calm down, meine Schwester!" Kurt said, trying to keep them from getting into an all-out chick fight. "Ve're all friends here!" he pointed out.  
Rogue rolled her eyes. As much as she loved Kurt, she hated his little heart-to-heart, we-are-the-world sentimentalities. And yet, aggravating as he could be, Rogue knew that Kurt was the only reason she hadn't gone totally postal on any of the mansions inhabitants.  
When they pulled into the school parking lot, Rogue was the last one to leave the car. She did not head straight for the main entrance with everyone else, but instead discreetly made her way to the back of the building. She stood there for a few minutes, watching the edge of the woods intently. Rogue glanced at her watch. Five seconds to go.four.three.two.  
"Waiting long?"  
Rogue looked up at the man now standing in front of her. He was several inches taller than her, putting him at about 5'9." His face was young, that of someone in the early thirties, yet it was worn with years of hard decision-making. The mouth was set in a thin line that seemed to be burned into his features, as permanent as the mark left by a branding iron. The nose had a bump in it, as though it had been broken in the past. The gray eyes were not vibrant or bright, just dull, staring orbs. They betrayed no sign of life, other than constantly scanning the area. If eyes are the window to the soul, Rogue had serious doubts about whether his existed. Atop it all sat an untidy mass of thick, black hair.  
He was clad in a blue t-shirt and slacks, just like most of the male teachers at Bayville High. Not that he would ever be mistaken for a teacher. No teacher in the world had his way of moving both surely and cautiously, or his commanding presence. This man was not a teacher. He was a soldier.  
"The project went as expected," Rogue said. He nodded.  
"Good. I trust that the item is secure?" Rogue nodded.  
"In that case, the Collective has a new assignment for you."  
"Ah'm listening."  
"When you obtained the item last night, I'm sure you noticed the black spots within it? There is evidence to suggest that these spots are a code, holding within them a power unknown to modern man. There is also evidence suggesting that another device exists that can decode the message. It is called the Keystone, and is believed to be a small diamond with a golden letter "K." And before you ask how to tell the original from a forgery," he said as Rogue opened her mouth to do just that, "the K is not on the stone, but within it, just like the black spots. The Collective wishes you to find the Keystone. Now," he said as the six-minute bell rang, "You need to get to class."  
  
A/N: Wow, reviews already! You tolerate me! You really, really tolerate me!  
  
Ishandahalf: I'm glad you think its spiffy. I hope this chapter is spiffy too.  
  
Panther Nesmith: I love your name. (and no, I'm not just sayin' that to get a good review.or am I? You'll never know!) Thanks for the vote of confidance. 


	3. The Hunt

A/N: First things first—an apology to SorrowRain.  I didn't mean to skip your review, and I promise to never never NEVER do it again.  Forgive me?  

Yumiko: I promise that you WILL eventually see where the stones lead.

Gub-man: I have no intention of making Rogue leave the X-men….but who knows?  Maybe my Muse will force me into it. 

And now, on with chapter 3!!!

Aside from her encounter with the man with the dead eyes, Rogue's school day was extremely uneventful.  There was a career assembly last period, giving her time to focus on the Keystone problem.  The man hadn't given her any indication on where to start looking, which meant that, as far as she knew, the stone could be on the other side of the world.  Somehow she doubted that this assignment would be as easy as her last one.

When the assembly ended, Rogue followed everyone else out of the building, heading for Jean's SUV.  The redhead was already there, along with Kitty.

"Where's Kurt?" Rogue asked as she climbed in.

"He is, like, totally walking Amanda to her car!" Kitty said excitedly.

Rogue rolled her eyes.  "Yippee," she said in a monotone.  Kitty made a face at her.

"Well **I** think it's sweet."

"Whatever."

Kitty opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment Kurt appeared next to Rogue, accompanied by a loud *bamf.*   

"Sorry I'm late," he said.  "I vas busy."

"So Ah heard."  Rogue turned to the window, watching the road speed by.  Her thoughts immediately turned towards the problem of the stone.  She knew of a store at the Bayville mall that was a front for black market trades.  It was as good a starting place as any.

"Hey, Jean, would ya mind droppin' me off at the mall?" she asked.  

"Why do you need to go to the mall?" Jean asked.  Rogue waved the question aside.

"Oh, there's just somethin' Ah need ta do.  It's for a…project."  Jean seemed to consider it for a moment, before finally agreeing.  

As soon as Jean let her out at the mall, Rogue began looking for the least crowded path to the store.  It wasn't easy.  She weaved between large mobs of people, every now and then checking to make sure her gloves were in place.  After about ten minutes of this, she reached her destination.

It was one of those high maintenance jewelry stores where you could buy a ring for more about as much as a house.  There were glass cases everywhere, holding everything from necklaces to earrings to engagement rings.  All of them seemed to include some type of diamond.  Rogue wandered around, hoping that, by sheer luck, the Keystone would be there.  It wasn't.  Disappointed but ready to give up, Rogue went over to the counter.

The man behind it  had the classic "snobby rich dude"  look.  Long nose, beady eyes, and an expression that clearly said "I am way more important than you."

"May I help you?" he asked in a bored tone, as if he didn't know why she was wasting his time.

"Ah'd like to take a look at some of your…other….merchandise." she said.

"Miss, I don't know what you are talking abou—" he stopped short when Rogue laid four five hundred dollar bills down on the counter.  He took the money, and then led her into a back room.

This was where the store did its illegal trading.  There were several tables with jewelry of all kinds, as well as paintings, sculptures, and bags containing what could only be drugs.

"Is there anything in particular you are looking for?" he asked.

"It's a diamond with a gold letter K on it." she said as she began searching through the jewelry.

"Then you can quit searching—we do not have it.  I would remember seeing such a jewel."

"Well do you know where Ah can find it?"  He pondered for a moment.

"There is a pawn shop just a few blocks from here.  It may have what you are looking for."

Fifteen minutes later Rogue walked through the door of a small pawnshop.  It was a cluttered little room filled with odds and ends.  Several piles of clothes littered the floor, while a shoe rack dominated the far wall.  An old wooden rocking chair sat in one corner, flanked on either side by floor lamps that had obviously seen better days.  In the midst of all the chaos there was a small table holding some fairly decent looking pieces of jewelry.  Rogue studied them all carefully, but none fit the Keystone's description.  Finally, Rogue decided to ask the saleslady.

The woman was short and plump, and walked with a bit of a waddle.  Her gray hair sat on top of her head in a tight bun.  She had on a faded blue dress that had several rips in it, much like the clothes piled around the shop.  When Rogue approached her, she was busy trying miserably to straiten the rack of shoes.

"Excuse me," Rogue said.  The woman put down the pair she was holding and turned to Rogue.

"Well hello dear," she said.  "How can I help you?"

"Ah'm lookin' fer a diamond with a gold letter K on it.  You seen it?"  The woman nodded.

"A nice young boy brought it in a few months ago," she said.  "It was on a silver chain, like a necklace."

"Do ya still have it?"  Rogue had to fight to keep the anticipation out of her voice.

" 'Fraid not, dear.  It sold a few days later.  I'm sorry."  Rogue's heart fell into her stomach.  At this rate, she'd be lucky if she found the stone by next year.

"Do ya know who bought it?"

"Well, yes, but I don't think I'm supposed to tell you.  Why is this so important, anyway?"

"It belonged to mah mom," Rogue lied.  "After she died, mah dad had to pawn some of her jewelry to pay fer the funeral."  Rogue looked down in mock grief, and pretended to wipe her eyes.

"Don't cry, dear.  I'll tell you who bought it.  Just give me a minute to check my records."

She walked over to a counter that was so covered in junk that Rogue hadn't noticed it, and began sifting through piles of paper.  She came back holding a tiny yellow slip.

" 'Ms. Darla Young,'" she read.  " '279, Lakewood Drive.'" 

"Thank you," Rogue said.  She started walking toward the door.  As she stepped outside, she heard the woman call, "I hope you find your mother's necklace, dear!"

It took Rogue two bus rides and a half-mile walk to get to Ms. Young's house.  When she arrived at the driveway, she was greeted by two overly excited black labs.  They licked her hands, beat her legs with their tails, and barked happily.

"Get offa me ya crazy mutts!"  Rogue tried to push them away, but it was no use.

Apparently the dogs could be heard inside, because the front door opened up and a tall, blond woman stepped out.  She took one look at Rogue's plight and shook her head exasperatedly.

"Doodle!  Virgo!  Come!"  The two dogs immediately abandoned Rogue and made a b-line for the woman, who put them both inside.  Rogue walked up to the porch.

" Excuse me," she said.  "Are you Ms. Young?"  The woman nodded.  "Ah was hoping' you could help me with something.  Do you have a necklace with a diamond decorated with a gold K?"

Ms. Young shook her head.  "No, why?"  Rogue proceeded to tell the woman about her poor, dead mom, and how the sales lay had directed her here.

"Sorry to tell you this, but it sold at a garage sale two weeks ago, to some people who used to live down the street."

"Where do they live now?"  Rogue prayed it was somewhere nearby.

"England."

A/N: And the plot thickens!  Wow, this is my longest chapter so far.  The first two look much longer on word than on FF.Net.  

I'm trying to change my account so that I can get anonymous reviews, but right now FF.net won't let me.  Sorry to anybody who tried to review but failed.

Barbra Ruiz: Sorry if I got your name wrong, my mom accidentally deleted your e-mail, so I'm doin' this by memory.  I really appreciate you going through all the trouble of e-mailing me, it means a lot.  Thanks.

Thanks to everybody who reviewed!  Guess what?  If you review this chapter, you get a free holowatch!        


	4. The Answer

A/N: I'm baa-aack!  Just uploaded chapter 3, and now I'm starting this.  Time to answer reviews!  Yippee Skippy! 

SorrowRain: the bad layout isn't my fault, FF.Net keeps screwing it up.  Argh!  I think it has something to do with that upgrade they're doing.  =/  

Ishandahalf: You guessed it—she's off to England!  

Gub-man:  It's not a ritual, exactly.  You're on the right track, though.

Thanks for all the reviews.  You all get free holowatches!  

Now, on with chapter 4!!

… Indicates telepathic communication.

It was almost eight o'clock when Rogue finally made it back to the mansion, weary, dejected, and hungry.  She trudged through the living room (which was currently occupied by the New Mutants watching TV) and headed straight for the kitchen.  Suddenly Bobby stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

"Hey Rogue!" he said.  Rogue, however, was in no mood for conversation.

"Move it, Icecube!"  (A/N: I loved when Wolverine called him that at the end of the X23 episode, lol! J)  She tried to get around him, but he wouldn't let her.

"The Professor told me to send you to his office as soon as you got in." 

Rogue scowled, but turned and headed for the Professor's office.  She couldn't think of a reason why he would want to see her.  Could he have found the Eye?  Rogue's heart pounded against her ribs.  How could she explain a stolen ruby in her bedroom?  She couldn't tell him about her *other* job, that was sure.  

She tried to convince herself that he couldn't possibly know about the Eye.  Yet with every step she took, it became increasingly difficult to get the thought out of her head.  Her head was filled with a vision of the Professor sitting at his desk, a look of extreme disappointment upon his face, with the Eye sitting in front of him.  He was looking at Rogue like a criminal. Rogue had to shake her head to get rid of that awful image.  The thought of the Professor thinking her a thief churned her stomach.  She didn't think she could stand disappointing the Professor like that.

With a start Rogue realized that she was standing in front of his office door.  She lifted her hand to knock.

Come in, Rogue, he said in her mind.  She pushed open the door slowly.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked.

"Please, have a seat."  

Rogue nervously settled into one of the chairs opposite the Professor.  She was having a hard time keeping a façade of calm upon her features.  

"Do you know why I called you here?" he asked.  Rogue shook her head.  The Professor reached into one of his desk drawers.  Her heart rate doubled—this was it.  He was about to pull out…a piece of paper?  Relief flooded through her.

"Recognize this?" he asked, pushing it towards her.  It was her last science test.

"It's mah science test," she said.  

"Look at the grade," he commanded.  She did—it was a 63.  Her short-lived feeling of relief was replaced by a feeling of foreboding.

"Would you mind explaining why, with grades like this, you decided to go to the mal on a *school* night?"

Rogue floundered, unsure how to answer his question.  

"Ah…uh…had a …project…to take care of," she said lamely.  

He cocked an eyebrow.  "Really?  What kind of project?"

"Extra-curricular?" she tried.  She didn't like the look he gave her in response.

"Let me guess," he said, "By 'extra-curricular' you mean 'having nothing to do with school,' and by 'project' you mean 'wasting money on things you probably don't need, but want anyway.'  Correct?"  Rogue nodded.  "Well I don't mean to be rude, but isn't that just a bit immature?"  He leaned forward in his chair.  "Rogue, I would expect someone as intelligent as you to realize the importance of studying, especially with grades like this."  

Rogue shifted uneasily.  She had not expected this line of questioning.  The Professor sighed.

"Why do you even *have* grades like this?  I know you're smarter than this."

Rogue shrugged.  "Ah just haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately, that's all."

"Well try to get more sleep from now on, alright?"  Rogue nodded.

"Can Ah go now?" 

"Feel free," he said, fishing through one of his drawers for a pen.  When he looked up a second later, she was gone.  "Nice to know I'm so popular," he muttered.

Rogue had headed straight for the kitchen, and was now munching on a cheese bagel.  She had spent most of the return trip from Ms. Young's house thinking up a solution to the Keystone problem.  It seemed that there was only one solution: she had to go to England, and she had to do it without the X-men knowing.  Fortunately, that wasn't overly difficult for someone in her line of work.

When she finished eating, Rogue went up to her room to contact the Collective.  Thankfully, Kitty was downstairs helping Scott with his homework.  Rogue pulled an ordinary-looking ballpoint pen out of her backpack.  But this was not an ordinary pen.  It was actually a Morse-code transmitter.  She began clicking the top of the pen.

"Keystone in England…awaiting further instructions."

Rogue put the pen back in her bag…there was nothing left to do but sit and wait.  She pulled out her homework and started trying to make sense of it.  Somehow she seemed to have forgotten everything her teacher had ever said.  Cursing with frustration, she put down her homework, and got out a book instead.  She then settled down on the bed and began to read.

It seemed like only a few minutes had passed before the phone rang.  Rogue walked over to Kitty's nightstand and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Would you like to be a part of our survey?"

That was the signal she had been waiting for.

"No thanks," she said, and hung up the phone.  She grabbed her coat on her way out the door.  

Where are you going? the professor asked.

The library.  Ah need to do some research for school.   Well she *was* going to the library…even if it wasn't for school.

Be back by eleven. 

She decided to walk, since the library was only a few blocks away.  It was a clear night, and Rogue was not the only one out.  Every now and then she would pass a couple out for a moonlit stroll.  Lone joggers patrolled the street, marching to the beat of a song only they could hear.  

A chilling breeze swept through the air, ruffling Rogue's coat.  She pulled it tighter around herself, and quickened her pace.  The library was in sight: a large, brick building with no personality save the graffiti covering one of the walls.  It was such a mundane building that no one who saw it ever gave it a second glance.

Rogue stepped inside, pausing to relish the warm air.  The inside of the building had slightly more personality than the inside.  A blue carpet blanketed the floor.  Several dozen bookshelves took up the room.  A small circulation desk sat in the corner, manned by a woman who appeared to be half asleep.  There was a staircase at the far wall, next to an elevator.  Rogue took the elevator.

There were only two floors in the building, and therefore only two buttons.  Rogue punched them both simultaneously, but the elevator remained stationary. A female voice said, "Voice identification."

"Rogue."

"Voice identification confirmed.  Proceeding to CIA headquarters."

A/N:  I bet y'all didn't see THAT one comin, now did ya?  There you have it, boys and girls: Rogue is a member of the Central Intelligence Agency.  Cool, no?  

I humbly await your reviews.  If you review this time, you get a free pair of ruby quartz sunglasses!!      

* * *


	5. The Plan

A/N: Hey y'all!  Judging by your recent reviews, I'm guessing that the last chapter was a bit of a shocker.  = O  Well hold on to your seats, 'cause I'm just gettin' started!!!

ZIEL1: I'm glad you approve.  :)  Hope this chap is just as good!

Rogue151: FINALLY!! I've been waiting for somebody to get the Alias connection!  That's where I get a lot of my ideas, so I'm sure a lot of things are going to seem very familiar…but there will be absolutely NO VAUGNE in this…unfortunately…(sigh)

Yumiko: Oh no!  Not the begging e-mails!!  Anything but that!!!

Lisboa Miraflores: Interesting name.  And your waiting's over, cuz chapter 5 is here!

SorrowRain: I finally figured out why the format was so messed up—I kept forgetting to save it as a web page.  D'oh!  Well, I'm glad my story's fun to read…'tis fun to write, too!

Ishandahalf: To use one of my fave Alias quotes, "Truth takes time."  In other words, all will be explained, just as soon as I figure out how to do it, k? K.

PantherNesmith: Rogue gets a lil help in this chap, as you'll see.  And I HAVE narrowed her search down to…well, you'll just have to wait.

LadyTrunks: Well, by this point you know that Rogue isn't a criminal…although that's a great idea for another story.

And that's all for the thank-you's.  Ruby quartz sunglasses for everybody!

By the way, this chapter is dedicated to my best friend, whom I shall lovingly refer to as Crazed Maniac.  (Don't ask.)   

Now on with chapter 5!!

Rogue stepped out of the elevator and onto a white tile floor.  People in business suits filled the large room, moving about, sitting at desks, and talking with one another.  It almost looked like your standard workplace…except the work being done *here* was anything but.  The people weaving in and out between desks were delivering top-secret documents, not office memos.  Sitting at desks were people typing up mission evaluations, not playing solitaire on the computer.  And the ones engaging in conversation were discussing the current status of the world's top terrorists, not who should win 'employee of the month.'   

This was the Collective, the New York branch of the CIA.

Rogue walked past all the desks of diligently working people, heading for a door in the back.  It lead to a much smaller room, which appeared to be occupied by a single, oval table.  Several people were seated around it, including the man with the dead eyes.  Rogue took a seat next to the only woman, a tall black lady with long, wavy hair.  Across from her sat the man with the dead eyes.  At the head of the table sat a thin man with barely enough hair left to cover his head.  He waited until Rogue was situated, then began speaking.

"Before we begin, I'd like to introduce you all to Special Agent Rogue.  Rogue, allow me to introduce Special Agents Sharita Corprew and Geoffrey Smith, whom you have already met. They will be assisting you in England.  My name is Special Agent Derrick O'Connell.  As of now, I will be heading all missions regarding the Eye of Polyphemus.  

Now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the mission briefing, shall we?"

A large screen, similar to those used for overhead projectors, slid down from the ceiling, covering the wall behind Agent O'Connell.  A picture of a picture of a small diamond hanging on a silver chain filled the screen.  The stone appeared to be marked with a golden K.  Closer examination proved that it was in fact within the diamond.  It reminded Rogue of the black spots in the Eye.

"The Keystone," said Agent O'Connell.  "The only device capable of deciphering the code hidden within the Eye of Polyphemus.  Its current location: England."

The picture of the Keystone shrank to the right corner of the screen, and a map of England appeared.

"Now, our agents have managed to narrow our search down to London (the map focused in on the city), but it will be up to you three to find it.  According to the last person Agent Rogue spoke to, Darla Young, the Keystone *should* be in the possession of Mr. And Mrs. Pracket, but—"

"Wait a minute," Rogue broke in, "Ah don't remember her ever tellin' me that."

"She didn't.  Another agent got the name from her," said Agent O'Connell.  "Now as I was saying, the Keystone should be in the possession of the Pracket's, but they were robbed a few days ago.  The crook obviously hasn't been found, or we wouldn't be having this conversation.  

The chief investigator on the case is Detective Black."  The map of London disappeared, giving way to a picture of the detective.  He was very young, barely into his twenties.  His age almost surprised Rogue, until she remembered that she was a 16-year-old sitting in the middle of the CIA.  Black's hair was blond, cut very neatly above his light blue eyes.  A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, as if he were trying not to laugh at something.

"When you get to England, you should begin with Detective Black.  You'll be disguised as cops going undercover to infiltrate a cocaine trading ring in the black market."

"Let me guess," said Agent Corprew, "the cocaine we're supposedly after is hidden inside diamonds."

"Exactly.  You will tell Black that you believe the diamond stolen from the Prackets is being used by these smugglers.  Any questions?"

"When'll all this be happening?" asked Rogue.

"Saturday morning.  You will be leaving at exactly 7 a.m.  Anything else?"

They all shook their heads, and were given permission to leave.  

As she boarded the elevator several minutes later, Rogue glanced down at her watch.  10:56.  

"Oh crud!"  She had exactly 4 minutes to get back home.  

"C'mon you stupid elevator, move!  Move!  C'mon c'mon c'mon…. Yes!"  She tore through the doors, shoving aside two people who were trying to get into the elevator.

"Sorry!" she called over her shoulder.  Several people looked at her indignantly, but she paid them no heed as she tore open the front doors.  Out into the freezing street she ran.  Her feet pounded the pavement in a tattoo second only to the pounding of her heart.  Adrenaline coursed through her in torrents.  Street signs blew past, to quickly for the eye to read.  She chanced a look at her watch.  10:58.  She ran harder.  Beads of sweat dripped down into her eyes.  Her legs were on fire, begging her to stop.  Yet she continued to run, faster and faster, determined to beat the clock.  10:59.  The sound of her heart banging against her ribs was all she could hear, except for the pounding of her feet, and the ragged panting that was her breath.  She turned a corner; the mansion was in sight!  Just 30 feet…now 25…now 20…her legs felt like lead…15 feet…each labored breath was agony…10 feet…every muscle seemed to be screaming 'stop!'…5 feet…she stretched out her hand for the security console…1 more foot…

Her hand slammed the buttons on the console, and the big iron gate swung open.  She glanced at the watch.  Ten seconds left.  Her already spent muscles protested at being forced to run the relatively short distance to the mansion door, but Rogue ignored them.  With a sudden burst of energy she leapt over the front steps, pulled open the door, and collapsed on the floor inside.

Wearily she raised her the watch into view.

11:00.

"Crud!" she said in between pants.

"It's all right."  Rogue looked up to see the professor looking down at her.  "You made it exactly one second before it turned eleven.  Due to a great effort on your part, I'm assuming."

Rogue nodded.  As soon as she could breath properly, she said, "Ah found a good book and sorta lost track of time."

"What was it about?"

"A London cop."

A/N: So, whattaya think?  Am I meeting your standards?  If not feel free to say so in a review.  (wink wink)  

Ummm, let's see, if you review this chapter you'll get…THE X-JET!!!!!  Woohoo!

L8R!!

~Seshat


	6. The Flight

A/N:  22 reviews!!  Yippee Skippy!  *sniffle*  I feel so loved…

Rogue151: I hadn't noticed it but your right, Geoffrey does look like Jack.  That was completely unintentional, but it makes sense.  See, Geoffrey's eyes are like that because he's been with the CIA for so long, and he's seen so much, that he's pretty much numb to everything.  I think Jack is the same way.  And which one was the Telling?  I never pay much attention to the titles, lol.

Carla1: Is this a fast enough update?  I am considering making this a romance, but you'll just have to wait and see what happens.  Ain't I a stinker?

Amanda14: I like your idea for the anti-telepath thingy.  Now I just need a scientifical explanation of how it works, a product design, and a really cool name.  :)

Yumiko: Hmmmm…interesting….I like it!  Kudos to you for coming up with it!

SorrowRain: Well I couldn't make her late, then how would she be allowed to go to the "library" on Saturday?  She'd be on house arrest!  Btw, I have this one-shot fic up in the X-men movie section that desperately needs reviews.  And it's a POV story.  It's called Reflections of a Terrorist.  PLEASE R+R!! 

Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers.  Have fun with your brand-new X-jets!! And now, here by popular demand, is chapter 6.  Have fun, y'all!

  The next two days passed without event, so on Friday Rogue was itching to get on with the mission.  She had already told the Professor that she would be spending Saturday at the library.  "Ah still have a ton of werk t'do," she had said.  So he had given her permission to go, provided she was home by curfew.

So Rogue spent Friday night packing her backpack with "study supplies."  There was the pen transmitter, a pencil with a camera in the eraser, and a little spiral notepad that doubled as a scrambling devise to prevent anyone from bugging the area.  There was also a book with a hidden compartment.  It held a police badge, I.D., passport, handcuffs, and a handgun.  

Rogue glanced over the items quickly, checking each one for flaws.  They were all in perfect working order, as she knew they would be.  The kit had been given to her by Agent O'Connell, so it stood to reason that it had already been checked over several times.  Even so, she felt like it would be irresponsible of her not to check them.  Once satisfied, she tucked everything away in her bag, along with her CD player and a bunch of CDs.  There wasn't anything special about those; she just refused to be stuck on a plane with nothing to do.  She then went to bed, waiting for Saturday to come.

The next morning Rogue awoke at 6:30, giving her time to take a shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and be at the library by 7.  When she got to the kitchen to get a quick bite, Logan was already there, reading the newspaper.

"What're you doin' up this early, Stripes?" he asked, glancing over the top of his paper.

"Ah have t'go down to the library an' get some homework done."  He grunted in response, and she took it to mean he was done talking.  She ate a bowl of cereal, hung her bag over one shoulder, and walked out the door.

The street was a lot lonelier then it had been the last time.  The only signs of life were the birds chattering away at each other in the trees, hidden by the thin veil of fog that had fallen the night before.  

The library was just as still…on the surface at least.  Yet as Rogue descended in the elevator, she knew that the CIA headquarters below would be as active as Kitty in the mall with a gift certificate.  Her guess was confirmed when the elevator door slid open, and everyone was running around like the whole world would fall apart if they didn't get their work done.  Of course, seeing as how this was the CIA, that wasn't necessarily a bad guess.  

Rogue stepped out of the elevator, once again heading for the room where they'd had the meeting on Tuesday.  And once again, she was the last one there.

"Good morning, Agent Rogue," said Agent O'Connell, rising from his chair.

"Good Morning."  Rogue found the nearest seat and sat down.

"Alright everyone," began O'Connell, "in just a few short minutes you all will be boarding a plane bound for England.  Onboard will be an agent assigned to help you alter your appearances, so that you match your I.D. cards.  The flight is two hours long, which means that because of Agent Rogue's eleven o'clock curfew, you MUST be on the plane by nine, with the Keystone.  That gives you exactly twelve hours to complete your mission.  Understood?"  There were sounds of confirmation made around the table.  "Then let's move out!"

Rogue, Agent Corprew, and Agent Smith were lead to the hanger by one of the lower-level agents.  The plane, while impressive, had absolutely nothing to compare with the X-men's Blackbird.  But Rogue figured a plane was a plane, and climbed on board.

The seats were plush, and incredibly comfortable.  The three agents sat down, and waited for the plane to take off.  As the engines began to rumble Rogue glanced through the window, trying to see the ceiling open overhead.  The lighting was to dim, though, and all she could make out was a large gray mass.  Slowly the giant bird lifted off the ground, bringing Rogue eye-to eye with a stand of trees.  As they got higher, it became apparent that it was not a stand of trees, but a forest.  She watched as the ground below slid shut, removing any sign that a top-secret spy network was below.

"Wow," Rogue said.  Agent Corprew looked at her.

"I take it you've never done an away mission."

"Not *this* far away," Rogue confessed.  "What about you?"

"Oh, I get sent on away missions aaalll the time.  I've been to Germany, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Portugal, and Moscow, to name a few."

"And Ah thought goin' from Mississippi to New York was a big deal!"  Rogue thought for a moment.  "O' course, Ah *did* think someone was tryin' ta kill me at the time.  Turned out it was just a good-fer-nothin' shape-shifter tryin' ta make me think the X-men were evil."

"Why'd they do that?"

"She wanted me ta join her Brotherhood of Mutants.  It worked fer awhile…till Ah found out the X-men hadn't really tried ta kill me, and it was all a twisted scheme on her part."

"So now you're with the X-men?"  Rogue nodded.  "I never knew that there was so much rivalry between mutant groups.  I always figured you guys had enough to worry about with the Friends of Humanity and all the other ignorant racists."

"Tell me about it.  But the X-men and the Brotherhood have *very* different views.  And sense the realizing of one sides dreams will mean the destruction of the others,"

"You're constantly fighting each other," Agent Corprew finished for her.

"Yeah, and as if that weren't complicated enough, now Ah've got *this* job to throw into the mix."

Agent Corprew opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by a door opening behind them.  An agent stood there, presumably the man responsible for changing their appearances.

"Who's first?" he asked.  Agent Smith wordlessly rose from his chair and went with the man through the door. 

Once they were gone Agent Corprew said, "How exactly did you get to be a Special Agent in the CIA?  You're only a kid!"

"It's a LONG story.  What do you know about Project Marvel?"

Agent Corprew shrugged. "Just that it was a plan instigated in the 1970's to create super soldiers for the government.  But when they couldn't figure out how to manipulate existing DNA, it was discontinued."

"That's not _entirely_ true.  The Project wasn't completely shut down, so much as put on hold.  It was in limbo, if you will.  But then something happened in recent years that made the government reinstate Project Marvel."

"Mutants appeared."

Rogue nodded.  "The CIA realized that they didn't need ta manipulate people's DNA, they could just let Mother Nature do the work for 'em."

"So you're a part of this Project Marvel, then?"

"Yep."

"But like I said earlier, you're just a teenager.  Couldn't the CIA have gotten an adult mutant?"

"Ya have ta remember that ninety percent of mutants today are teens.  So the options were pretty limited."

"Well, then why couldn't they just wait for the teens to grow up?  I mean, the Project's been down for three decades, what's another couple of years?"

"They probably could wait with any other mutant."

"But not with you?"

Rogue thought carefully before answering.

"It's cuz of mah pow'rs.  See, whenever Ah touch someone skin-ta-skin Ah absorb there life energy, and all there mem'ries.  With mutants, Ah take their pow'rs."

"I already know about your powers, it was part of Agent O'Connell's briefing when I was assigned to this mission."  

"Then ya probably also know that Ah can't control 'em…yet.  The CIA thinks they might be able ta not only teach me ta control mah pow'rs, but ta use the pow'rs Ah drained from other mutants.  But they had ta start trainin' me now, er else mah pow'rs'd reach a point where contolin' 'em'd be impossible."

"So it's just like that old saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks."

Rogue nodded.  "Confusin, ain't it?"

At that moment the door opened and out walked the recently transformed Agent Smith.  His black hair was now a light, almost sandy brown.  The bump in his nose was no longer visible, thanks to a synthetic putty that identically matched his skin tone.  Contact lenses had transformed his eyes from gray to blue, although they still lacked any sign of life.

The agent responsible for Agent Smith's new appearance stepped into the doorway.

"Next," he said.  Agent Corprew stood up and followed him through the door.

Agent Smith took the seat opposite Rogue.

"Ah like the hair," she said in a vain attempt to start up a conversation.  He merely glanced at her, then pulled a paperback novel out of his jacket pocket and began to read.

"Ooookay.  Ah guess Ah'll just listen ta some music."  With that Rogue pulled out her CD player and began listening to her Linkin' Park CD.

A half-hour later the door opened again, and out came Agent Corprew.  Her eyes, once brown, were now hazel.  Her wavy hair had been tied back in a ponytail.  A once-prominent scar across her lower lip had been covered up expertly.  In short, she looked like a whole new person.

"Guess it's mah turn," Rogue said, taking off her earphones.  She walked through the door, into a small room with a chair.  A table sat next to it, covered in makeup supplies, hair dye, and a box of different colored contact lenses. The agent stood beside the table, motioning for Rogue to sit down, which she did.

"Alright," said the agent, "first things first.  We need to get rid of that white streak of yours.   Now, how does your hair look in that I.D. picture?  Oh yes, that's right…"  Over the course of the next thirty minutes Rogue was transformed to match her I.D. card.  Her white streaks were dyed red, and extensions were added to her hair.  All of her Goth makeup was removed.  Finally, she was given a new wardrobe to complete the look.  

There was a pair of blue jeans, a tan belt, a green blouse, and tan shoes.  A trench coat completed the outfit.  Rogue then placed her I.D., pen, pencil, and notepad into one of the pockets.  Her badge was clipped to the belt, and a hip holster was added for her gun.

That done, she stepped out the door and went back to her seat.  Ten minutes later the plane landed in London International Airport, and it was time to find the Keystone.      


	7. The Theif

A/N: Wow, you guys reviewed even WITHOUT a bribe!  ^_^  

Rogue151: Smith is the strong, silent, do-you-actually-expect-me-to-talk-to-you? type.  And you MUST see the Telling, it kicked butt!!!  Yet, ironically, it left me cussing out the writers for the ending.  I can't believe they DID that!!!  AAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm OK really.  = )

Amanda14: OK, no more Bond movies for you!  Seriously, how do you come up with that stuff???  There might be some brotherhood, I don't really know at this point.  But there IS going to be a certain somebody in this chapter…

Yumiko: This soon enough for you?  

Panther Nesmith: That thing about her powers took forever to come up with.  I spent over an hour sitting on the coach bouncing ideas off my lil bro.  But I got there eventually.  And I do have some romance ideas in mind.  Just be patient.

SorrowRain: I plan on having plenty of action in this fic, so don't worry.

 Thank you to all my wonderful little reviewers!  Here's a whole new chapter, just for you!  Enjoy!!

"Excuse me, are you Detective Black?" Agent Corprew asked the sandy haired cop in front of them.  The man nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am.  May I 'elp you three?"

Corprew nodded.  "My name is Detective Rita Newman," she said, showing him her badge.  "These are my partners, Detective Christa Ingelsted, and Detective John Sherman."

" 'Ello!" said Detective Black, shaking everyone's hand in turn.  They were standing in the middle of the London Police Department. It wasn't a particularly crowded building, which Rogue liked.  She had enough to worry about without having to make sure she wasn't about to touch anybody.

"So," said Black after the introductions, "Wot brings you folks to London?"

"Perhaps we should discuss this in a more secure location?" Agent Smith said, glancing at the people around them.

"Yes, of course."  Black led them to an interrogation room.  They all sat around the single table.

"Now," said Black, "Why exactly are you 'ere?"  

"We're on an undercover assignment to break a Coke smuggling ring," Corprew explained.

"I'm afraid I don't know anything about that."

"We know," Rogue said.  "That's not why we're here.  Yer investigating the Pracket case, right?"  Black nodded.  "We think the guy who robbed 'em is one of the smugglers."

"Is that right?  'Fraid I can' be of much 'elp to you.  The case is pretty cold at this point.  The guy didn't leave be'ind any fingerprints, an' nobody saw a thing.  All we've got to go by is a strip of cloth an' a strand of 'air.  An' before you even ask, the follicle wasn' attached, or we'd know who  'e is."

"Have you done an analyses of the hair and cloth?" asked Smith briskly.

"Yes, sir, we 'ave."

"And?" asked Smith, putting more emphasis on the word than was necessary.

"The 'air was dark brown, almost black.  Not too 'elpfull.  The cloth was much more informative.  The material was tan, prob'ly from a coat or something.  In fact," he said, looking at Rogue's trench coat, "It looks a lot like that coat you're wearing."

Ten minutes later the trio was standing outside in front of the Police Department.  The conversation with Black had ended shortly after he told them about the cloth, as that was the only piece of evidence he had.

"Now what?" Rogue asked her comrades.  Smith looked at her like she was an idiot.

"We talk to the Pracket's," he said as if that were obvious.  His know-it-all attitude was severely getting on Rogue's nerves, but she kept her feelings to herself.

"Black already questioned them, and they didn't see anything," Rogue said.

"I've been on this job for twelve years, I think I know what I'm doing."  

"And I don't?"  Rogue fixed him with an icy glare.  Even without the goth makeup, it was nerve-wracking.

"Well one can't expect a *kid* to know how to handle *grown-up* jobs."  

There was a very long string of four-letter words Rogue liked to have used at that moment, but Corprew spoke first.

"Let's just go talk to the Pracket's.  It's not as if we have any other options."  Rogue had to agree with her, so they immediately hailed a cab and rode to the Pracket's house…

…Where nobody was home.

"So much fer that brilliant idea," Rogue said as they left the Pracket's driveway.  "Lahk Ah said earlier: now what?  It's almost noon, and we're not any closer to findin' that dang stone!"

"Look, I saw a couple venders in a park not to far back," said Corprew.  "Let's grab something to eat, and then we can figure out what we're going to do.  Agreed?"

"Agreed," said both Rogue and Smith at the same time.

They walked most of the way in silence, which was just fine with Rogue.  She shoved her hands into her pockets to ward of the slight chill of the air.  Normally she wouldn't have felt it through her thick black gloves, but the green ones she had on now were considerably lighter.  Rather than dwell on her cold hands, Rogue decided to enjoy the scenery around her.  

The road was lined sparsely with trees that had only a few brightly colored leaves left.  The rest littered the ground in a thick blanket that rustled every time the wind blew.  Every now and then a bird would sing out from its perch in the trees.  

The park was more of the same: bare trees, birds trying to hide in the naked branches, and a leaf covered ground.  Small benches were scattered here and there.  In the very center of the park stood a group of food and drink vendors, surrounded by a large mass of people.  Behind them were several large white tents, also flocked by people.  To many people, in Rogue's opinion.

"Place sure is popular," she said, unconsciously checking that her gloves were secure.  "Anybody know what the huge crowd is here for?"

Corprew shrugged.  "My guess is that it has something to do with those tents."

"Alright," said Smith, "new plan.  We recon the tents, and then get lunch.  Whatever's going on over there may have attracted our thief."

They nonchalantly approached the tents, trying to blend in with the crowd.  Ducking under the flap of the first tent, they found themselves surrounded by paintings.

"It's an art show," Rogue said unnecessarily.  "Which means the thief prob'ly is here."

"But not in this tent," Corprew said.  "The pictures are to big for him to steal.  He's probably in a tent with smaller stuff like sculptures or jewelry or something of that nature."

Rogue nodded.  "We should split up, we'll get done faster that way."  To her surprise, Smith actually agreed with her.

"Right.  We'll each take a different row of tents.  If you see a guy with a tan trench coat, signal with these."  He handed each of them a seemingly ordinary watch, which they promptly put on.  "They're two-way communicators that are activated by tapping the watch face."  He then handed them each something that looked very similar to a hearing aid.  "If you hold the watch near your face and say anything, the signal will be transmitted into these receivers.  Understood?"  Rogue and Corprew nodded, and they all split up to begin the search.  

The first three tents Rogue tried contained objects much to large to be of interest to a pickpocket.  After that was a tent filled with woodcarvings, followed by one with painted plates.  Another tent held sun catchers, and still another held pieces of wire that had been molded into the likenesses of people running and swimming and the like.  So far there had been no sign of the thief.  It was getting rather monotonous.

Rogue was about to declare the whole thing pointless when she stepped inside a tent filled with pocket watches, most of which were maid out of either silver or gold.  There, standing not ten feet in front of her, was a man in a tan trench coat.  She gently tapped the watch and then brought it up to her face, under the pretense that she was scratching her ear.

"There's a guy in a tan trench coat in the tent with the watches, not sure if it's our thief though—never mind.  He just stole one of 'em.  He's headin' outside, Ah'm followin' 'im."

Without waiting for confirmation Rogue stepped outside behind the guy.  She was careful to lag behind a bit, in case he looked back and saw her.  He was moving fairly quickly, although not fast enough to call attention to himself.  Every few minutes he would turn a corner, forcing Rogue to keep a running commentary going on her watch.

"He just turned right…now left…left again…right…He's stopped under the huge maple…now he's heading up the fifth row of tents…"

"I see him," Corprew's voice cackled through her earpiece.

"Me two," said Smith.  "I'm closing in."

Rogue looked up in front of the man and saw Smith and Corprew coming towards them.  The thief obviously saw them as well, because he turned suddenly and started jogging between two tents.  The trio followed after him.  He had cleared the tents and was now heading for the edge of the park.  Looking over his shoulder, he saw that his pursuers were hot on his trail, and broke into a dead run.  They did the same.

The three agents followed him out of the park and through a maze of streets.  The man was obviously skilled at eluding cops.  He would get to a T intersection, start heading right, and then abruptly turn left.  When he came to a similar intersection, he would start heading left and Rogue, expecting the same trick, would prepare to go right—except this time the thief actually *would* go left.  Or he'd pretend to be heading in one direction, and then he'd just keep going straight, right in between two houses.  Rogue gave up trying to predict his next move, and just followed him as best she could.  

The chase wore on for twenty minutes with no end in sight.  They followed him over fences, through people's yard's, across semi-frozen ponds (something Corprew swore she'd never do again).  He was tireless, and he was keeping up a pace that would have dropped most people ages ago.  Too bad his hunters weren't "most people." 

This thought seemed to dawn on him when he looked back and saw that Rogue was only a few feet back, and the other two were on her heels.  Rogue watched him pull something out of his pocket and hold it in the air.  Whatever in was started to glow crimson, and then he threw it at her.  It landed directly in front of her, an Ace of Spades.  Rogue didn't know what this was about, but she knew it couldn't possibly be good, so she jumped clear of the card.  As she did, it exploded in the spot where her foot had been.  This guy was a mutant?  The thought had barely registered in Rogue's head when he began tossing cards left and right, forcing her to either put up an acrobatic display, or be incinerated.  She took the first option.

"Man, Ah feel lahk Ah'm in a friggin' Danger Room session," she muttered as she dodged yet another card-bomb.  

"AARGH!!"

Rogue turned just in time to see Corprew fall to the ground, clutching he left leg.  A hole had been charred through her pants, and her leg was burned.

"He got me!" she said through gritted teeth.  "That little son of a …"

"Rogue, You stay with her.  I'll go after him," Smith said.  Rogue shook her head.

"He's a mutant, so Ah've got a better chance than you.  You just make sure she's okay!"

Rogue ignored Smith's shouts of protest and ran in the direction the thief had gone.  She soon found him climbing up a fire escape of an apartment building, and started up after him, the metal steps clanking under her feet.  As she ascended the last flight of steps she reached into her pocket, pulling out the gun.  It was time to quit running around.

"Police, freeze!" she shouted, pointing the gun at the crook.  He was lounging in one corner of the roof, idly shuffling a deck of cards.  It was the first time Rogue was able to get a good look at him.  Dark, unruly hair that fell above his eyes, a mischievous grin surrounded by the black stubble of a beard, and the most amazing eyes Rogue had ever seen.  The irises were not green, like hers, or brown like Corprew's.  Nor were they gray, or blue, or hazel, nor any other color that Rogue had seen.  They were red.  *Blood* red.  The sclera was not the plain whiteness to which Rogue was accustomed, but an impenetrable blackness.  They were the type of eyes children expected to see on the faces of the monsters come to devour them in their beds, glaring menacingly from the dark recesses of their closets.  Yet on his face, a face so easy-going and playful, the eyes appeared, not menacing, but beautiful.

"Bonjoir cherie," he said, his voice thick with a Cajun accent.  "Now why you be pointin' dat t'ing at Gambit?"

"Where's the diamond you stole?"  Rogue asked without preamble.  Gambit cocked his head to one side, feigning ignorance.

"Diamond?  Gambit don' remember any diamond."

"Don't give me that crap.  In case yeh haven't noticed, Ah've got a loaded gun an' it's pointin' at yer head.  So tell me, where's the diamond you stole?"

"You callin' Gambit a t'eif?  I've never been so insulted in my life!"

"Oh, please.  Ah saw yeh take a watch from the art show.  Now make with the diamond, er Ah'm gonna pull this trigger."  

He stopped shuffling his cards, the playful expression gone now.

"Whatever you say, chere."  Gambit slowly reached inside his coat, pulling out a foot-long metal rod.  Rogue guessed it was some kind of container, so she said, "Open it."

Gambit nodded, took the rod in both hands, and twisted it.  The ends shot out on either side, making it into a five-foot staff.  Before Rogue could react he swung the staff in an arc, slamming it down hard on the gun.  It fell from Rogue's grip, clattering on the ground at her feet.  The thief knocked it away with his staff.

"You didn' t'ink Gambit was gonna give up dat easy, did ya?"  Rogue noticed that his smile was back.

Moving swiftly, he swung the staff at her ankles in an attempt to knock her off her feet.  She jumped the staff, spun around, and landed a back kick squarely in the middle of his chest, knocking him back a step.  Then, using the momentum from the kick, Rogue tried to backhand his face.  Gambit grabbed her wrist, twisting her entire arm until she was forced to turn her back to him.  Rather than try to elbow his solar plexus, which he was sure to be expecting, Rogue tore of the glove of her free had with her teeth.

Gambit, confused by her sudden lack of action, said, "What be da hold-up, che—"  He never got to finish his sentence, for a pale hand had lightly touched his face.  In a matter of seconds his unconscious form crumpled to the roof.  Rogue knelt beside him, and began searching his pockets for the Keystone.  Unfortunately he had a lot of pockets, and almost all of them were full.  She found—among other things—the pocket watch he had taken from the art show, a deck of cards, three wallets, a gold bracelet, another deck of cards, two Rolexes, a lock picking kit, yet *another* deck of cards, some cash, some cards that *weren't* in a deck, a diamond ring, several credit cards, and still more playing cards.  One pocket held a small brown envelope.  Rogue turned it upside down, and the Keystone fell into her open palm.

It looked exactly as it had appeared on the screen in the CIA briefing room.  The diamond was only about a centimeter wide, and clear as glass.  The golden K glittered in the sunlight, as did the fine silver chain on which it hung.  Rogue dropped the stone back into the envelope, which she placed in her pocket.  She then tapped her watch, activating the communicator.

"Ah've got the Keystone.  Let's go home."

A/N: Sooo whatcha think?  Sorry if the fight scene was a little short; those things are hard to write.  You'd think a girl who's taken karate for 2 years could write a fight sequence, but noooo.  That would be too easy.

Ah, well.  How'd I do with the description of Gambit's face?  I've been trying to give more colorful descriptions, instead of just hair and eye color.  Am I succeeding?  Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated!

Um, if you review this chapter you'll get…a set of adamantium claws!!!  Woooo!

Oh, and Amanda14, you'll notice that Gambit had a LOCK-PICKING KIT.  And what'd you think of the watch communicators?            


	8. The Feast

A/N: Hey, y'all!  I have returned—and with a new name, too!  = P  (I didn't like the fact that FIVE other people had my old name; I wanted something original.  So this name is MINE ALL MINE!!!!!!)  Okay, enough of my insanity.  This chapter is going to be a little different than the rest, cause I'm introducing an OC…Well, actually, I'm introducing a BUNCH of OCs.  But first, let's answer some reviews, shall we?

Yumiko: I'm going to try to work in some Remy/Rogue stuff cuz I'm a HUGE Romy fan.  

Barbara Ruiz: I try to keep things interesting.  Don't want you getting bored!

Panther Nesmith: Hey, what pickpocket can resist a huge crowd??  

Krazy Xanadu: I see you decided to get a new name too, eh?  Now this is just a shot in the dark, but was the last chapter fun?  Oh, and Rogue DOES have the Keystone.  Now they just have to decipher the Eye…easier said than done.

Rogue151: So many things to respond to!!  Ok, first, glad you liked the last chapter.  Second, I know they haven't shown the Telling again, which stinks.  Smith is supposed to be annoying, because otherwise things would get boring.  And Vaughn better NOT be married!  If he is, he better start signing those divorce papers ASAP.  And how, how, HOW did Sidney wake up in Hong Kong after TWO FRIGGIN YEARS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?  The one upside to all of this: if this is what the finale was like, imagine how cool the premiere will be!

Luna2: Don't worry, I have a personal rule against making my readers wait forever for an update.  Plus, my writing keeps me sane. = )

Amanda14: You're right, I'm not even _close_ to being done.  I have big plans for this story.  As for Rogue's power, I'm not really sure if she'll find a cure or not.  It all depends on how I want things to turn out.  

Now that that's done, on with chapter 8!!…er… 9…er…Just read it already!

Emperor L'Kal was *not* happy.  It had been well over a year since he had sent his soldiers after the Amulet of Life.  For twelve grueling months he had waited for them to return, only to learn that they had failed.  An entire legion of his warriors, the fiercest in the world, and they had been outmaneuvered and outwitted by a bunch of old monks.  It was embarrassing.

L'Kal rubbed his temples as he felt the pains of a headache welling up.  Readjusting himself in the large throne, he eyed the General standing in front of him.

"Tell me again, General Nomed.  *Why* do you not have the Amulet?" 

The General kept his eyes pinned to the floor.  "The Guardian escaped with it."

"And *how* did The Guardian escape?"  L'Kal's voice barely hid his contempt.

"He portal jumped."  L'Kal sneered.

"He portal jumped?  Is that all you have to say?  He *portal* jumped?  You incompetent fool!  Did I not warn you of The Guardian's magic?  Did I not warn you that he would attempt to portal jump, and give you the *exact* counter-spell?  Well?"  The Emperor glared at the soldier.  The General mumbled something into the floor.

"I'm up here, you idiot," L'Kal spat.  The General met his master's eyes, and had to suppress a shudder.

"We did not have time to use the spell.  He was already gone."

"What do you mean you didn't have time?  Those monks couldn't have detained you *that* long."

"They were experienced in battle, and put up a good fight.  By the time we breached the outer wall, The Guardian was gone."

L'Kal sighed.  It was always depressing to learn that his army had failed…but there was still hope.  A sudden thought came to him.

"General, how many survivors did you leave at the temple?"

General Nomed grinned.  

"None."    

That night a feast was held to celebrate the return of the soldiers after their yearlong journey (everyone chose to ignore the fact that the mission had been a complete failure).    Five long tables were set up in the Great Hall, one of which was reserved for the returning warriors.  A sixth table rested on a dais at the front of the room.  All of the castles occupants had turned up for the feast, and four of the tables were completely filled.  The fifth table, the one reserved for the soldiers, was empty.  One of the castle guards stood in front of the dais.  He was dressed in a black tunic, and a horn hung at his side.  He raised the horn to his lips, and trumpeted once.  The room fell silent.

"Welcome, everyone!  Today, we honor the return of the soldiers who braved the wildlands in the name of our Emperor, may he live forever!  It shall be my pleasure to introduce them to you all, but first, may I present His Lordship, Emperor L'Kal!"

A door at the back of the Hall opened, and in marched L'Kal, flanked by four guardsmen.  He was dressed in black, flowing robes made of the finest silk.  The sleeves and collar were trimmed in gold, and decorated with symbols that only the Emperor could understand.  A gold band fit snuggly atop his head of pitch-black hair.  In his right hand he held a scepter, the top of which was carved into a winged beast, half lion, and half eagle.  The creature looked ready for battle.

L'Kal took his seat at the dais, and smiled…if such a face could ever really be said to smile.  The mouth, with its thin, pale lips, was turned up in something akin to a smile.  His sharp, hooked nose resembled the beak of the monster sitting atop his staff.  And his eyes, his eyes were the stuff of legend.  They were a vibrant gold, like the eyes of a lion, and they glowed in the light of the torches.  

The Emperor looked down upon his people.

"Thank you, Fraydor, for the introduction.  And thank you all for coming.  I'm sure that you are all as excited as I am to sample the delicacies, which Chef has provided us.  But first, let us first welcome home the heroes for whom we are having this feast!  Fraydor, if you would."

The guard nodded, and pulled a long roll of parchment from his tunic.  He took a moment to unroll it, and then began to read.

"Presenting, the Twenty-Second Infantry, lead by Captain Chast!"  

Twelve soldiers, all dressed in gray uniforms marched to the reserved table, and took they're seats.

"The Archery Division, lead by Captain Reed!"                                      

A score of soldiers marched through the doors.  They were wearing the same uniforms as the Fifth Regiment, but with one difference.  Each of them had a crest with a drawn bow on their chests.  

Fifteen minutes later nearly all the soldiers were seated.  Only the most honored and elite group of warriors remained.  All eyes turned to the doors in the back.

"And finally, it is my honor to present to you…the Shiran!"

The doors burst open, and out marched General Nomed, followed by fourteen of the fiercest-looking warriors in the room.  They were dressed in full battle uniforms, unlike the soldiers that had entered before them.  Leather boots reached halfway up their calves, topped by leather pants.  Black sleeveless tunics were cinched with belts around their waists.  On the left hip of each man hung a sword, on the right hip, a long dagger.  Another belt ran along the lapel of their tunics, and each man had no less than five knives sheathed there.  Red bands were tied around their left arms, midway between elbow and shoulder.  

A few of the men had added extra, personal touches to their uniforms.  One man had on spiked plates over his shoulders.  Another wore a battle-axe on his back.  Several of them wore red headbands.

The Shiran marched purposefully toward the dais, and sat down around the Emperor.  At a nod from L'Kal, Fraydor announced that the feast was to begin.  Everyone began eating, and the food diminished rapidly.  During the meal, General Nomed turned to L'Kal, whom he was seated beside.

"You have outdone yourself with this feast, m'lord," he said.  The Emperor waved the compliment aside.

"Oh, surely you agree that your men are deserving.  After all, you have been gone for a year.  You deserve a good meal."

Nomed chose his words carefully.  "Emperor, you seem to have had a change of heart.  May I ask why?"

"Ask whatever you want.  That doesn't mean I'll answer."  Nomed took that to mean that L'Kal wasn't in a talking mood.  He turned his attention to the conversations going on around him.  On the far end of the table, to men were arguing over weather speed or strength was better in battle.

"It's not 'bout how strong you are.  If you can hit him afore he hits you, you'll win."

"Aye, but if he's stronger than you, your blows won't hurt him, now will they.  An' when he rounds on you, you're a dead man."

"Not if you ram six inches of steel into his jaw."  The man demonstrated by making an upward motion with his steak knife.

Nomed soon tired of the argument, and focused instead on the conversation the axe-man was having with the man with spiked shoulder plates.  The axe-man was recounting the tale of a past battle.

"We were outnumbered, ten to one, easy.  They surrounded the five of us, bristlin' with swords and spears.  But we weren't goin' down without a fight!  So I swung my axe over my head an' shouted 'Take 'em down!' an' we charged.  It was the greatest fight I ever saw, 'till I became a Shiran, o'course."

Nomed sighed, and devoted all of his attention to his food.  Suddenly a voice broke into his thoughts.

"General, would you mind telling that story of how you fought that band of barbarians?"  Nomed turned to the man who had asked.

"Certainly, Rosco.  I had been travelin' for three days in the desert, and I came across a tribe of cannibals…"         

Jennsen Turlock had never seen a metal bird before.  She had seen metal blades and chains, and even metal wagon wheels, but never a metal bird.  Especially not one that came out of the ground.

She had been wandering through the woods, and had just come upon a nice little clearing, when she felt the ground begin to tremble.  Then, to her horror, the very earth beneath her feet began to split apart.  Jennsen had cowered behind a nearby tree.  She had watched, terrified, as the ground opened up.  A monstrous, droning roar came from within the hole.

Something inside began to move.  It rose from the earth, a metallic giant, large enough to swallow twenty men at once.  Its wings were held out stiff, never once flapping.  The beast had no feathers, no beak, no mouth.  Light glinted off of its black hide.  Once the bird had risen above the trees, it began journeying northward.  As it did, the ground closed up again, leaving no sign that it had ever been open.

Now Jennsen crept out from behind her tree, inching over to the clearing.  She tested the ground with one foot.  It *felt* solid enough.  Warily she stepped on the ground, half expecting it to collapse under her.  Nothing.  It was as stable as the rest of the forest floor.  How curios.

Satisfied that the ground was safe, Jennsen sat down at the base of a tree.  She reached inside her cloak and produced a small, gold disk.  In the center of the disk there was a star, encrusted with jewels.  The center of the star was a diamond, and each of its eight rays was a different colored jewel.  Words were inscribed on the edge of the disk.

Jennsen stared thoughtfully at it.  "So much trouble, and violence, and death, all because of you," she said to the disk.  "What _will_ I do with you?"  Not surprisingly, the disk didn't answer, and Jennsen put it back under her cloak.  She glanced up at the sky, where the metal bird had been.  She started when she noticed the sky's color.  It was _blue_.

How curios.

A/N: I hope that wasn't TOO confusing.  If it was, don't worry.  Things should start to make sense here pretty soon.  If you have any questions about what happened here, feel free to ask.  

Next chapter will focus on Rogue again, promise!  Scout's honor!  (Ch, as if _I_ were really ever a scout!  Ha!)  

Forty reviews!  Yippee! Watch communicators for everybody!!!!!!

And if you review this, you'll get Cyke's car from X2!  ^_^  

Bye, Y'all.

~Terminatrix T-X             


	9. The Match

A/N: Hey y'all!  Sorry if the last chapter was a lil hard to understand.  It'll make sense eventually, I promise.  It may take a while, though.  Now, time for some review answers!!

Panther Nesmith: Everything will be explained…and as for making this a Romy, I have no comment.  Aren't I evil?  ; )

Amanda14: Your right: this _is_ big!

Krazy Xanadu: The feast was fun t'write.  And as I told Panther Nesmith, I am not saying anything about weather or not this will be a Romy.

Yumiko: I know it's confusing, but just wait.  

Rogue151: Ok, first off, your right about the other dimension thing.  Secondly, it was NOT the X-Jet.  The X-Jet comes out from behind a waterfall, not a clearing in the woods.  I suggest you re-read chapter 6.  Oh, and the scene with Jennsen _was_ sort of a flashback.  Hey, do you have any idea when the new season of Alias starts?  Oh, and I read your story.  Very cool.  And last of all, I'm glad you like my name.  Whew!

Caliente: Once again, I refuse to disclose any information about weather or not this will be a Romy, K?  But I'm glad you like the story!!

All right, now that that's done, let me just say once and for all: DO NOT ASK IF THIS WILL BE A ROMY, BECAUSE I AIN'T TELLIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you all enjoy your new cars! = )  And now, on to chapter 9! (or 10, depending on how you look at it.)

Rogue wearily pushed open the mansion doors and stepped inside.  It looked as though everyone had gathered in the living room.  Scott and Xavier were having a chess match; Jean, Kitty, Rahne, and Jubilee watching a chick-flick; Hank, Ororo, and Logan were talking on the couch; and everyone else was crowded around the Foosball table, where Kurt and Bobby were going head-to-head.  A few people glanced at Rogue as she came through the door.

"You're back!" the Professor said cheerily.  "Get lots of studying done?"

Rogue nodded, taking the chair next to Scott.  It was the only unoccupied space in the room.

"Ah think Ah'm finally understandin' this history stuff."  It was true—they had arrived back at the CIA several hours ahead of schedule, so she had used the time to get some actual studying done.

"What're you learning about?" Scott asked as he studied the board.

"Ancient Egypt.  We're studying Ahkenaten right now."

"Ahke-who?"

"Ahkenaten.  His original name was Amenhotep IV, but he changed it when he became Pharaoh.  He tried to change Egypt's entire religion to focus on one god."

Xavier nodded his approval.  "Good to know you weren't slacking off all day."

"Ah wasn't, believe me."  She looked down at the chessboard.  "Um, Scott?  Ah don't think yer two pawns stand much of a chance."

"No, I still have a shot…I think," he said, staring down at the board.  

Rogue looked skeptical.  "Against two knights, a bishop, and a queen?"

Scott was still studying the board intently.  "If I can just get a pawn to the end of the board, I can promote it to a queen." 

"That sounds like a good plan…"

The Professor moved a knight.  

"Checkmate!"

"…O'course, the plan _is_ usually the first casualty of war."  

Scott glared up at her.  "Gee, your helpful.  I'd like to see how well you do against the Professor."

Rogue yawned.  "Not tonight.  Ah'm gonna head up to bed."

Xavier cocked an eyebrow.  "You do realize that it's only eleven fifteen.  On a _Saturday_.  Are you feeling alright?"

"Ah'm fahn.  Just tired is all."  She got up from her chair.  "See you tomorrow."

The following morning all of the X-men were gathered in the Danger Room, desperately trying to appear alert as Logan explained the training scenario.  Rogue was no exception.  She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep despite going to bed early, and there were still traces of jetlag.  On the upside, though, Logan _had_ let them sleep in till 6:30.  

"Today we're going to focus on battling without powers," Logan was saying.  Everyone groaned.  It was no secret that when Logan said "no powers," he meant "I'm gonna wipe the floor with ya in hand-to-hand combat."  He glared at them, and the sounds of protests died.  "I've already assigned you all with sparring partners."  

This was new.  Logan was going to have them fight each other?  A few of the students sighed with relief.

"Cyke, your with Evan.  Kurt, your with half-pint.  And Rogue, you get Jean."

Rogue grinned.  She got to spar Jean?  This was worth getting up at 6:30.

Logan took the elevator up to the Observation Room, and a minute later the Danger Room disappeared, replaced by a dojo.  The matted floor was sectioned of into four squares.  Each team took up one square.

"Alright, this is light contact _only_.  You have five minutes on the clock…begin!"

Immediately Rogue got into a fighting stance, turning so that only her side was facing Jean.  The redhead threw a punch at Rogue's stomach.  Rogue blocked it easily, then countered with a roundhouse kick to Jean's stomach.  Her foot tapped the flesh lightly, as if to say, "I could have knocked you to the floor just now."  Jean grinned, taking a step back.

"Nice ki—" she was cut off by the fist that came out of nowhere, aiming for her nose.  The girl barely had time to throw a highblock.  Unfortunately, this left her solar plexus wide open, and Rogue didn't waste a second in throwing another punch, and this one hit its mark.  Once again, she merely tapped the flesh, just hard enough to prove how badly it _could_ have hurt.  Rogue turned swiftly, and kicked out behind her.

_Tap_.

She spun back around, using her momentum to deliver a backhanded swipe.

_Tap._

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap._

Rogue kept up a steady attack, never giving Jean a chance to counter.  That had been the first lesson she had learned as an agent: show no mercy.  It was a lesson she had taken to heart, because it applied as much here, as an X-man, as it did in the CIA  

Apparently Jean didn't find it all that great, however.  She was starting to get aggravated with the way that she was taking a beating, while Rogue still hadn't been touched.  Disregarding the light contact rule, Jean threw a punch with the wait of her entire body behind it, aimed directly at Rogue's middle.  The Goth saw Jean's eyes flicker downward; saw the fist come at her solar plexus.  Rather than block, Rogue did what she knew to be the last move expected of her: she stepped closer to Jean.  Pivoting so that she was facing Jean's outstretched arm, she grabbed in both hands.  In one smooth motion she pulled Jean down onto her raised knee.  Then, with Jean off-balance, Rogue hooked her leg behind Jean's ankle, kicking her foot out from under her.

Jean landed unceremoniously on the floor.

"Time!" Logan called, and all the fighting stopped.  Everyone turned to look at Jean, laying face-up on the hard mats, while Rogue stood calmly over her.

"That was a nice move, Stripes.  How about demonstrating that for the class."

Rogue grinned at Jean, who grudgingly stood in front of her.  Jean threw a punch, and Rogue proceeded to knee her, then send her to the floor.  The others were then told to practice the move with their partners.

"Okay, my turn," Jean said, obviously eager to send Rogue to the floor.  She was disappointed, however, when did a backwards roll on the floor, ending in a perfect battle stance.  Rogue grinned at the girl's annoyance.

 _I wish ol' Geoffrey could see this_, she thought.  _Maybe then he'd realize that I know what I'm doing_.

Jean cocked her head to the side.  "Who's Geoffrey?"

Rogue froze.  This was very, very bad.  She jumped to the offensive, hoping to keep Jean from asking unwanted questions.

"What were you doin' in mah head?  Ah never said you could go tap-dancin' around in mah thoughts!"

"Rogue, I'm sorry.  It was an accident.  I didn't mean to."  Jean's eyes narrowed.  "He's the reason you keep coming home so late, isn't he?" she added, keeping her voice low so the others wouldn't hear. 

"That's none o' yer business!" Rogue shouted.

"Do you even know anything about this guy?  Or are you just seeing him because…"

The rest of the sentence fell upon deaf ears.  Jean thought Geoffrey was the name of a boyfriend?  Relief coursed through Rogue's veins, but she was careful to keep it hidden.

"Ah'm not seein' _anyone_, and even if Ah was, it's _none o' yer business_!"

The girls glared at each other for what seemed like hours, until Logan declared that the training session was over, and they both stalked off.

Rogue stepped into the living room in time to see Hank pick up the ringing phone.  

"Hello…I must decline your offer…Would you be so kind as to remove the telephone number of this humble abode from your list?  Thank you."  He hung up.  "Hello, Rogue.  How was the training session?"

"Alright, Ah guess.  Who was that on the phone?"

"Telemarketers, asking about a survey.  They've already called five times."

Rogue cursed her bad luck for missing _five_ calls from the CIA.  They'd be wondering where she was.  Rogue ran up to her room, stuffed the Eye in her pocket, and headed out the door.

A/N: Yes!  Jean bashing!  And the best part is, the facts support it.  After all, it makes sense that a trained CIA agent could kick a prep's butt.  But now Rogue has the problem of Jean reading her thoughts—that's some very bad joo-joo right there.  

I had somethin' else I wanted t'say, but I can't remember what.  Ummm…oh yeah, yer rewards for reviewin' this chapter…Wolvie's motorcycle from the movie!!…well, actually, it's Scott's motorcycle…funny how that works.  In X1, it was Scott's bike, but Wolvie rode it, and in X2 it was Scott's car, but Wolvie drove it.  I wonder what thing of Scott's Wolvie will steal in X3?

Okay, I've got to post this now, so that you guys can read it, and then leave sterling reviews.  (hint, hint)  Bye, y'all!!!  

Oh, and a BIG thank you to The Last Ronin for putting me on yer fave list.  I greatly appreciate it!!  = P   


	10. The Twins

A/N: Hello again! I just uploaded chapter 9 (10, whatever) and now I'm starting this. But as always, I need to answer my reviewers first.  
  
Rogue151: Wow, the chapter hasn't been up more than twenty minutes and you've already read it. Now that's dedication! And yes, Geoffrey and Rogue would be a terrible mix, but I figured that would be Jean's assumption. (with emphasis on the first three letters.) The fight scene was SOOOOO much fun. I just hope the part where Rogue trips Jean wasn't too confusing. It's a pretty simple move to execute, by kinda hard to describe. But I just had to put it in there, so that I could say this: ROGUE WIPED THE FLOOR WITH JEAN!!!!!!!! Umm, I wish the Alias season would start sooner, and yes, you pay very close attention.some would say unnaturally close.Oh, and I can see how the ground opening up for the plane would confuse you.actually, I stole the idea from the movie. (Shh! Don't tell anyone or the Feds will get me! *hides under the computer table*) Anyhoo, the plane was the CIA jet, when they left for London. That's all for now, I think. Wait, there's somethin' else I gotta say. I just saw this blooper show, an' they did some o' the ones from Alias. Remember the one where the tech guy (whose name I can't remember) was drugged and Sidney had to wake him up with a slap, then a kiss? Well, after the kiss he said he was a bit "discombobulated" (hey, that's a real word! Cool!) so he kept forgetting the line. Personally, I think he did it on purpose so he could kiss her again! OK, now I'm done! ^_^  
  
OK, peeps, I'm gonna go fry my brain in front of the talking box, and maybe when I'm done I'll have some more reviews. = P  
  
.I'm back! Yippee Skippy, more reviews!!  
  
Ishandahalf: I agree!!!  
  
Yumiko: I'm updating! Aren'tcha pround of me?  
  
The Last Ronin: thanx fer the review, it means a lot. I am blown away by your enthusiasm. Seriously, you made me skip through the house twice today: first when you said this fic rocked, and then again when you said that all you could think of t'say was "WOW." And as for the spelling errors, let me just say this: if it weren't for spell check, EVERYTHING would be spelled wrong. = P  
  
Oh, a quick note to all my lil readers: check out The Last Ronin's story, Tears of a Phoenix. It kicks arss!!!! We will now return to our regularly scheduled program.  
  
Panther Nesmith: I didn't do Scott and Evan bashing for two reasons. One, I was to busy doing Jean bashing, and two, I loathe Evan too much to write about him any more than is necessary. He is the ONLY character I dislike more than Jean. I won't bother you with why (unless you really want me to). But the Jean bashing was a lot of fun, no?  
  
BasiaM: Yippee Skippy!! I love when I get new readers!! I'm glad you liked it, and there's plenty more ahead!!  
  
Barbara Ruiz: The fight was a whole lot of fun. Nothing's more fun than a whole chapter of Jean bashing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Krazy Xanadu: I have come to the conclusion that Jean is the least popular character. Everybody wants more Remy!!!!!!!! And of course I will continue!!!!!!!!!! See? I'm continuing!!!!! Why am I using so many exclamation marks???? AHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE TAKING OVER THE PAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RUUUUUUUNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! IT'S THE WORK OF THE CHICKEN, I KNOW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
You all get free motorcycles. Enjoy!  
  
Now on to chapter 10!  
  
  
  
"What took you so long?"  
  
Rogue stepped through the elevator doors and into the CIA headquarters, where Smith was watching her impatiently.  
  
"Danger Room," she said simply. His brow furrowed.  
  
"What's that, some idiotic computer game? Typical."  
  
Rogue tried to hide her exasperation with the man behind a façade of calm.  
  
"It's not a game, it's the X-men's trainin' room. We were practicin' hand t'hand combat."  
  
"So what, you didn't hear the phone ring? We called you five times!"  
  
"As a matter of fact, Ah didn't hear it ring. An' even if Ah had, Ah'm not exactly aloud t'leave in the middle of a training session."  
  
"Well you're hear now, so stop jack jawing and let's get to the briefing room," he snapped. Apparently he had forgotten that he was the one who started the conversation in the first place. They walked the short distance to the briefing room in silence. Not surprisingly, Corprew and O'Connell were already there.  
  
"Good of you to join us, Agent Rogue," O'Connell said as they took their seats.  
  
"Ah was stuck in th' Danger Room," she explained. He merely nodded, as if this wasn't news to him.  
  
"Do you have the Eye with you?" he asked.  
  
Rogue nodded, pulling the little black sack out of her pocket, placing it on the table. O'Connell took it, saying, "I'll take care of this. The tech guys are itching to start decoding it."  
  
"Speakin' o' tech guys," Rogue said, "Ah need their help with something. Today Jean accidentally read some o' mah thoughts-nothin' big, mind you. But Ah was hopin' they could make me somethin' t'keep that from happenin' again."  
  
O'Connell nodded. "I'll have them get right on that. Now, moving on. This morning my superiors informed me that they wish to add more Agents to Project Marvel."  
  
"Wait, I thought they were planning to wait until this generation of mutants reached adulthood," Corprew said. O'Connell shook his head.  
  
"They've changed their minds."  
  
"So who do they wanna recruit?" asked Rogue.  
  
"They aren't sure yet. This is where you three come in-especially you, Agent Rogue. You are to act as scouts, to spot those who would be best qualified. It is imperative that you consider not only their powers, but their personality and skills, as well."  
  
"How many new recruits are they lookin' fer?"  
  
"Just two."  
  
  
  
How curios. Jennsen watched the two men traveling through the woods from her perch in a tree. They were both clad in odd clothes, colored with bright blues and reds and whites, so very different from the brown habit and cloak she wore. Did these people not realize that a blind archer could hit them from a mile away? Did they want the Emperor's men to find them?  
  
Jennsen kicked herself mentally. This wasn't Ben-Tari, the world ruled by Emperor L'Kal. He did not exist here, so of course these people were not afraid of him.  
  
As she watched them, Jennsen wondered if she should introduce herself. These people might be able to help her. Then again, they might think she was strange, sitting out in the middle of the woods, with no idea where she was, and dressed in clothes that they would probably find ridiculous. Either way, it was worth the risk.  
  
She jumped silently to the ground, not wanting to startle them.  
  
"Excuze me!" she called. They turned around, smiling at her.  
  
"Can we help you, miss?" one man asked. He was wearing a white shirt with blue pants. His partner had on a red shirt with the words "I put ketchup on my ketchup" written across it. Jennsen briefly wondered what ketchup was.  
  
"I'm a bit lost. Can you point me towarrdz the nearrest town?" (A/N: a double R means she's rolling it)  
  
Red Shirt pointed in the direction they had been walking. "Bayville's about an hour's walk thataway. We were just on our way there. Your welcome to tag along, if you'd like."  
  
White Shirt nodded enthusiastically. "We always enjoy a lady's company."  
  
"Alrright. I'm Jennsen, by ze way. Jennsen Turlock."  
  
Jennsen, eh? That's a pretty name," White Shirt said. "I'm Dan, and this is my twin brother Kevin."  
  
"Call me Kev."  
  
Jennsen nodded. "Sure, Kev. So are we going to zis Bayville place, or what?"  
  
Dan laughed. "Your right, we probably should get moving. So, Jennsen, where are you from anyway? You sound Russian," he said as they began walking.  
  
"I am Rrussian," she said, figuring that was the safest way to go.  
  
"Where abouts in Russia?" Kev asked.  
  
"Um, it is a verry small town. You probably never hearrd of it."  
  
"Try us," Dan said.  
  
"Ben-Tarri," she said, hoping they wouldn't call her bluff.  
  
"Ben-Tari? Never heard of it," Dan said, scratching his head. "How 'bout you, Kev?"  
  
"Nope. 'Course, Russia's a big country. Heck, it's practically a whole continent!"  
  
"Well now zat you know something about me, tell me something about yourselves." The brothers nodded, and began speaking in turn.  
  
"We were born right here in Bayville."  
  
"Grew up here till we were two."  
  
"Dad was in the army, so we moved a lot."  
  
"Then we came back here when we were twenty."  
  
"And started leading nature hikes through the woods."  
  
"And scouting new trails and things."  
  
"Which is why we're out here right now," Dan finished. Jennsen shook her head.  
  
"Zat was confusing," she said. "Tell me, do you two always speak in turns?"  
  
"Yep!"  
  
"Pretty much!"  
  
"Figurres."  
  
  
  
A/N: Unbearably short, I know. It was longer, but the part that I had added next doesn't really fit here. Plus, I couldn't seem to stay focused on any one subject. Don't worry, though, the next chapter will be started ASAP.  
  
I need ideas for the new agents. Begin voting.NOW!  
  
I hope Jennsen's accent wasn't too hard to understand. Just know that whenever she rolls her Rs, it shows up as a double R.  
  
OK kids, time to push the lil pink button that says "review." If you do, you'll get.a deck of exploding cards, courtesy of Remy!! (My lil bro's idea = P)  
  
Ummmm..I'm running out of things to say here.so I'm just gonna go now! L8R!!! 


	11. The Decision

A/N: Guess what? I'm typing this up on my brand new computer!…Well, actually, it's not _new_ new, I mean, it's _used_, but it's new to _me_, get it? And it has a wave keyboard! Wooo! 

OK peeps, review answer time!

Panther Nesmith: So many questions! I'm only gonna answer two, though. The twins might play an important role, I dunno yet. Jennsen will play a HUGE role. Oh, and God bless Jean bashing! = P

27sp: Yes, you are right…and that's all I'm gonna say about that. Don't want to give everything away, wot! (I have _got_ to cut back on the Redwall books!)

Shadow of the Sword: Jean annoys me too. So does Evan. And I'm not sayin' a word about who I want to become an agent. Mum's the word!

The Last Ronin: I checked out the site, and I love it! In fact, one of the pics is now my wallpaper! But I don't really know enough about the New Mutants yet to use them a whole lot. I'm trying to fix that, though. =)

Jenny: I totally agree--Ack! I sound like Kitty!!!…could be worse, though. I could sound like…Jean. *shudders*

Ishandahalf: you and everybody else! I am getting more requests for Kitty…and I agree with em all!!

Krazy Xanadu: Thanx, and the same to you. And the chicken is in the backyard playing with his best friend, Hampter the Hampster. (I have WAAAAAY to much time on my hands! = P ) Oh, and sorry bout your throat. Feel better soon, K?

Rogue151: YOU'RE FIRST AGAIN!!! I never knew Danvers was an agent. Oh, the possibilities! I'll have to confer with my muse about that. I'm the same way with summaries. To me it's like, if yer gonna tell a story, tell the friggin story! Don't be leavin things out unless it improves the piece. I think it's the author in me. I hate taking away from a good piece of literature, y'know? Who was that Haladiki guy? He's not ringin any bells. Maybe if you gave me some more details...

Okay you all get a deck of exploding cards! Have fun!

Now please enjoy this next episode of my little piece of work! 

Rogue151, this chapps basically for you, fer obvious reasons. 

Rogue sat in the living room, watching everyone around her. Kurt and Evan were having a rematch at foosball, while a crowd of students cheered them on. Hank and Xavier were playing a game of chess, which Scott was watching with great interest. Kitty, Jean, Bobby, and Amara were watching a rerun of _Alias_. 

None of these things interested Rogue. Her thoughts were on one thing only: who to recruit. She looked around at her options. The Professor was out, because he already had enough to deal with. The same went for Hank and Ororo. Logan hated the government too much because of the Weapon X project. There wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell that he'd ever work for the CIA. Scott was out, for the same reason as the Professor. Plus, Rogue wasn't entirely sure he could keep something like this a secret from Jean.

Rogue looked over at the redhead. Jean, with her sports events and her parties and dates with Scott (or Duncan, depending on the day of the week), had little free time. She could never do all of that _and_ missions for the agency. Darn.

Bobby was another automatic out. The reason was simple: he had too much power, and not enough experience. In fact, the same went for all the New Mutants. So that just left Kitty, Evan, and Kurt. 

Evan was far too irresponsible. Rogue laughed inwardly at the thought of him as a CIA agent. He'd be the laughing stock of the agency. So, by process of elimination, the new recruits would be Kitty and Kurt.

__

Oh, God, she thought, _as if Ah don't see enough of those two already. An' Ah just _know_ Smith's gonna think Ah chose Kurt just 'cause he's my brother. What is his problem, anyway? He's been a pain ever since--_she noticed Jean watching her. Rogue narrowed her eyes as she felt her mind being probed, albeit gently.

"What's wrong?" Jean asked. Rogue projected her answer as a single thought.

__

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!

Jean's eyes widened momentarily, then she went back to watching the TV. Rogue continued staring at the redhead for a few minutes, then turned her attention to Kitty. The valley girl was sitting on the edge of her seat, obviously enjoying the show--even though she had seen it twice before. A commercial brake came on, and Kitty began talking animatedly to Amara.

"Man, this show is, like, so cool! I wish I was a CIA agent." Rogue laughed inwardly at the irony. Kitty wanted to be an agent, and Rogue wanted to make her one. But first she had to convince Agent O'Connell that Kitty was agent material. 

__

Well she is_ a computer whiz,_ Rogue thought. _Not to mention the fact that she's the only freshman taking astrophysics. If nothing else, she could work with the techies._

Having decided Kitty's fate, she turned in her chair to watch the foosball game between Kurt and Evan. Both boys were putting their all into the game--Rogue had never seen Evan work so hard. Apparently that wasn't hard enough, because Kurt spun his goalie hard, sending the ball flying into Evan's goal.

"Tur!" Kurt shouted, throwing his hands in the air. Evan put the ball back on the table. He kicked it to Kurt's end of the table, but the elf sent it right back. They continued passing it back and forth, until…

"Tur! I vin! I am invincible!" Scott laughed.

"Nice to know you're so humble." Kurt ignored him, and began doing a victory dance.

Rogue watched him, trying to remember why she had decided on making him an agent. Kurt unknowingly reminded her when he started showing off his acrobatic skills: vaulting off chairs, swinging from the chandelier, etc. Anyone who could move like that would make an excellent field agent.

Her mind made up, Rogue quietly got up from her seat and went to her room. She turned on the computer and opened up her e-mail. Then she opened a file labeled 'School projects.' It was actually a stenography program, used to encode messages. Once it was open, she began typing a message for the CIA.

__

To Agent O'Connell:

I have made my decision regarding the new recruits. First is Katherine "Kitty" Pryde. Her power is the ability to phase through solid objects. She is highly intelligent, practically a child prodigy. Like all of the X-men, she is excellent physical condition.

My second choice is Kurt Wagner, my adopted brother. He has the appearance of a furry blue devil, complete with tail, and also has the ability to teleport. This, combined with his acrobatic talent, would make him an excellent field agent. 

I am attaching full biographies of them both to this letter. Please give me an answer ASAP.

~ Agent Rogue.

The stenography concealed the e-mail as an add. Once it was sent, Rogue decided to go watch the tail end of _Alias_ while she waited for the reply. She sat down beside Bobby, who looked thoroughly confused.

"What's wrong?" Rogue asked. 

"I don't get this," he said, gesturing to the screen. "Which side does the chick work for?"

Kitty, who happened to be listening, rolled her eyes. "Haven't you been paying attention? She works for the CIA as a double agent."

"But whose that guy?" he pointed to the screen.

"That's Arven Sloan," Rogue supplied. "Leader of SD-6. That's what Sidney's workin' to destroy."

"Why?"

Amara sighed. "Can you please wait until a commercial brea--never mind, one just started."

"SD-6 is, like, the reason Sidney's fiancée is dead. They murdered him when she told him she worked for the CIA."

Now it was Jean's turn to look confused. "But why did SD-6 care if he knew Sidney was with the CIA?"

Three sets of eyes stared at her.

"You don't watch this show much, do you?" Amara asked. Jean shook he head.

"Okay," Kitty said. "Who wants to explain it to her?"

"Ah will. See, when Sidney first became an agent, she was workin' fer SD-6, which she _thought_ was a black-ops division of the CIA. But when she told Danny--that's her fiancée--Sloan had him killed. Then Sidney found out SD-6 was part of the Alliance of 12, an organization dealing in espionage, weapon trades, that kinda thing. So now she works as a double agent for the real CIA to bring down the Alliance."

"Oh," Jean said still looking confused. The show came back on and Rogue proceeded to ignore her. When the show ended, Rogue considered going upstairs to check her e-mail, but decided against it. It had only been fifteen minutes, after all. Instead, she decided to stay and watch a movie with everyone else (the crowd that had been watching the foosball game was now seated around the TV).

"What movie should we watch?" Bobby asked. Immediately people started yelling out ideas.

"10 Things I Hate About You."

"Terminator 2"

"Finding Nemo"

"Jamie, that's, like, still in theaters!"

"Oh. Then I vote Coyote Ugly."

Several guys agreed, but the girls shook their heads. "We watched that last weekend," Amara said. 

It was Scott who finally ended the argument.

"I know a movie we can all agree on," he said. "It's got plenty of action, romance, and not everyone has seen it."

"What is it?" Jean asked.

"_Daredevil._"

Bobby grinned. "More Jennifer Garner? Alright!"

For the next two hours they watched the movie, completely absorbed by the Matt/Electra romance. Rogue especially loved the romance scene on the roof…not that she'd ever admit it. As the end credits started to roll she climbed upstairs to check for a reply from O'Connell. To her surprise, it was there, disguised as an add for hair gel. She quickly decoded it and began to read.

__

To: Agent Rogue

I have reviewed your letter, as have several of my superiors. It has been decided that Katherine Pryde and Kurt Wagner will be admitted to the agency. Bring them to HQ tomorrow after school. You have until then to explain the situation to them.

~ Agent O'Connell

Rogue deleted the letter, and went downstairs. She had been thinking about how best to break the news to them, and was ready. 

"Hey Kurt, Kitty, c'mere!" she called from the bottom of the stairs. Kurt 'ported next to her, with Kitty in tow.

"Vhat's up?" he asked.

"Ah gotta show you something. C'mon." She led them up to her room, shutting the door behind them.

"Well, what is it?" Kitty asked. Rogue silenced her by holding up a finger, then turned the radio on loudly enough to prevent anyone from eavesdropping. She pulled Kurt and Kitty into a corner, and began explaining everything to them in a hushed voice.

"Y'all aren't gonna believe this, but it's the truth. But first, you have t'understand, this is a _complete_ secret. You can't tell _anyone_, not even the Professor, got it?" They both nodded, identical looks of curiosity pasted on their faces. Rogue took a deep breath.

"Ah work fer the CIA."

A/N: Dun dun duuuun! I was gonna keep going, but then I realized, 'hey, this would be a great stopping point!' so I stopped. But not to worry, the next chappy will be up soon. 

Review, and get…a credit card that Xavier pays for! (Hey, he can afford it!)

Bye, y'all! 

__


	12. The Sailor

A/N: It's me again! Here to entertain you with a story of my own design. So sit back and relax, chaps and chapesses, wot? (See what reading Redwall books all day can do to you? I sound like a bally hare! Oops, there I go again!) 

OK, I'm going to attempt to keep my insanity to myself, but I can't promise anything. ; ) Anyhow, I have a feeling this chapter's gonna take awhile to write, and I'm sorry. I'll try not to take TOO long. I know generally what I want to happen, but I don't know how to get it down on paper. I'll probably have to delete it like three times. Ah, well.

Review answers at the end of the bally chapter today, chaps, wot! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Now, onward to chapter whatever-number-I'm-on! Have fun!

A sword point stabbed the ground, barely missing Rosco's head as he rolled out of the way. He grabbed his rapier up from the dirt where it had fallen moments before, and rose to a crouch, facing his attacker.

The combatants circled one another, eyes locked, waiting for an opening to strike. Rosco saw his opponent's eyes flicker down to his midriff; he paired the stab just in time, countering with a downward swipe to the shoulder blade. His attacker sidestepped, and the blade tore uselessly through the air.

Steel grated against steel as they battled, with neither one having a clear advantage. Both fought with the ease of one long accustomed to using a blade. They stabbed and parried, skipped and dodged, never losing a step in the dance with death. Sunlight glinted off their swords as they clashed against one another, yearning to bite flesh.

Then, with one powerful twist of his rapier, Rosco sent the opponent's sword flying. Before the man could do anything, Rosco's sword tip pressed against his neck.

"You lose, Wolfgang," he said, thrusting the rapier into its scabbard. Wolfgang did the same, saying, "Ya might be a better swordsman than me, mate, but there's two things I'll always be better at."

"Oh really? And what's that, you old seadog?" Rosco asked in mock anger. Wolfgang grinned.

"Sailin' an' singin, o'course!" 

Rosco looked at him skeptically. "You can't sing!"

The sailor whipped out his sword, and began parading around the room as he sang an old sea chantey. 

__

"I'm the babe of a bloodipper

Born in the teeth of a gale

I'm the one who wields the sword

An' makes the pirates wail

I'm as sharp as the reef rock

I carry death in me paw

Go where I like, slay who I will

That's the corsair's law!

Blood's me favorite color

I'm swifter'n lighitnin, aye

Stand out me way, stand out I say

Step aside now, or die!

'Cause I'm the spawn o' nightstorm

Death sails in me wake

I'll sheath my blade in innards

And what I want, I take.

Come one, come all, I'm waitin'

I'll flay yer carcass bare

So everyplace I go they'll say

'Ahoy, you bold corsair!'"* 

Wolfgang bowed, sheathing his sword. Rosco grinned.

"I stand corrected, you are a good singer. Now if only you could fight as well as you sing."

"Aye, and if only you could sing as well as you fight. I've heard you sing, and it's worse'n listenin' to a family o' crows!" 

Rosco shook his head. "Hey, now, is that any way to speak to your superior?"

"Superior? Ha! I'm three years older'n you. By all rights you shouldn't even be here--you're only seventeen!"

"True, but I'm still a Colonel, and that means I outrank you, _Major _Hayes."

Wolfgang snorted. "Me an' everybody else. Yer lucky, you only answer to two people: General Nomed and the Emperor 'imself, may he live forever! Arr, I used ter be at the top o' the food chain meself, cap'n of the _Wave Rider_. I never had to answer to anybody. Now that I'm part o' the Shiran fleet, I'm havin' to deal with other cap'ns and admirals, and landlubbers who don't know jack about the sea!"

"Yes, yes, I know," Rosco interrupted. "You've told me a thousand times." 

"But y'know, you've never told me yer story? Mind explainin' how yeh got t'be history's youngest Shiran?"

"Alright, but I'm starving right now. Let's go grab some lunch first. Hua?"

"Hua."

Fifteen minutes later the two friends were seated at a small table inside the palace's Dining Hall, their trays laden with as much food as they could hold without breaking.

"Good thing we beat the rush, or there'd o'been nothin' left!" Wolfgang said as he began cutting up a piece of meat. "So, now, about that story o'yers…" 

Rosco nodded. "Well, let's see. It started when I was about fifteen years old. I decided that I wanted to go into the army like my father, and his father before him."

"Yer dad was in the army?" Wolfgang broke in. 

"A Major, like yourself. He commanded a regiment of archers, some of the finest in the world. But I didn't want to be just a soldier, like him. I wanted to be a Shiran. So, when I turned fifteen, I was enrolled in the Academy. 

I was the youngest person there, and a prime target for bullying. But I worked hard, and discovered that I had a knack for using rapiers. Oh, I could use other swords as well--scimitars and broad swords and the like--but I excelled with the rapier. I practiced with it day and night, at lunch, between classes, and any other spare time I had. In class, I devoted myself to learning all about strategy and past wars. In training sessions, I fought with a vengeance. Never settling for anything short of success, and would often stay up for hours practicing the same kata until I got it right. If anyone ever beat me in a sparring match, I would challenge them again and again, until I finally won. My hands were not as skilled with a bow as with a sword, so I spent long hours standing on the firing range, shooting until my fingers were numb and my back was sore from bending over.

All of that hard work paid off the day the Emperor--may he live forever!--sent scouts to recruit new men for his palace guard. I was chosen, along with a few other cadets, and next thing I knew I was here at the palace, working as a guard. It was a lot like the Academy at first. No one really took me seriously, especially when I told them I wanted to be a Shiran. But again, I devoted myself entirely to my new job, determined to prove I was more than just a foolish child. 

The chance to prove myself arrived unexpectedly one morning when a band of about twenty thieves from the Wild Lands broke through the main gate (At the time the gate was only held with a wooden bar, not an iron one like nowadays). As it was barely an hour past dawn, I was one of the few people on duty, and the only one near enough to do anything, save for the gatekeeper. He was still half-asleep, though, and the thieves killed him before he could raise the alarm. I drew my rapier and charged, shouting, '_Kirvati!_' the time-honored warcry of my family. It means 'come dance with me.' By the time backup arrived I had killed all twenty men. That was when General Nomed first spoke to me. He asked me what my name was, and when I told him he said, 'Rosco Geraldi, eh? They should call you Rosco the Rapier!' and the name stuck. Then, a month later, I was promoted to the ranks of the Shiran. After that it wasn't long before I became a Major. I earned my current rank in a battle against the Savages of the Wild Lands, fighting side by side with the General. I saved his life, and he rewarded me with a promotion." 

Wolfgang let out a low whistle. "That's quite a story, mate. Wish I had a tale like that…o'course, I s'pose cabin boy to cap'n to Shiran ain't bad. An' then there are all those stories o' how I fought against pirates and high seas."

He began telling Rosco about one of his adventures, but the young man wasn't listening. Rosco studied his friend, sitting lazily in his chair, every inch a sailor. His large hands were callused from years of hard labor, and they were connected to powerful arms decorated with tattoos of ships and sea monsters. Wolfgang was large, made almost entirely of muscle. His face was weather-beaten and scarred. The ever-smiling mouth was missing a few teeth, which were no doubt flouting out in the sea somewhere. His vibrant blue eyes betrayed no sign of the hardships he had endured in the past--only joy. All this was topped by a mass of yellow hair that always looked as though it had been combed by the wind of a gale.

Wolfgang looked at him quizzically. "Yer not listenin', are yeh?"

"Yes I am," Rosco lied. "Please, continue."

"Well anyhow, there I was, surrounded by pirate ships. I couldn't make a run for it, an' worse, they 'ad the weather gauge. I knew I didn't 'ave enough ammo ter fight 'em all, but I wasn't goin' down easy! We loaded the cannons with chain shot ter tare up their sails. If a ship's got no sails, she might as well surrender. Eventually we broke through their ranks an' got out o' that circle, but we still had a ways ter go before we were safe. The chain shot was all used up, an' we switched ter single shot. Dismasted one ship, raked another 'cross its stern--"

"Raked?" Rosco asked, completely lost. "What does that mean?"

"Instead of hittin' 'er on the side, we hit 'er back. Does more damage. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, we raked one of 'em--I think it was called the _Sea Blood_. Then there was just one left--"

"Giraldi, sir!"

They turned to see a soldier, slightly younger that Rosco, standing at attention next to them. He saluted smartly, and the other two followed suit.

"What do you need, Private?" Rosco asked.

"Sir, you are wanted in the Briefing Room immediately," the soldier said. Rosco glanced at Wolfgang.

"Duty calls." He turned to the Private. "Is that all?" The soldier nodded. "In that case, I'll be on my way." 

The Briefing Room consisted of a single, rectangular table. At it's head sat Emperor L'Kal, wearing the same black robes that he wore at the feast. On his right sat General Nomed. Sitting next to him was Vir'tan, the assassin. No one knew Vir'tan's last name, or where he came from. Or, indeed, anything bout him. All they knew was that he worked for the Emperor.

Rosco took a seat opposite the General, apologizing for his tardiness.

"It's all right," L'Kal assured him. "You came as soon as you were informed. Now let us get on with the purpose of this meeting: the Amulet of Life. As you already know, the Amulet's guardian has fled with it into another dimension via a portal. I want it back! And you three are going to get it for me."

"Excuse me, m'lord," Rosco interrupted, "but how are we supposed to get it from another dimension? We don't even know where the guardian fled to."

L'Kal chuckled. "Geraldi, please! Let's be serious here! Do you honestly think that I, the most powerful sorcerer in the world, could be stopped so easily? I have already preformed a locator spell. I know exactly how to re-create the portal that the Guardian used. Once I have created it, you three will go through it, and bring my amulet back."

"Just the three of us, sir?" the General asked. L'Kal nodded.

"I want you to keep low profiles. We don't know anything about the locals; they may sympathize with the Guardian. You are to get in, get the amulet, and get out. Hua?"

"Hua!" 

__

A/N: And they're off! Looks like we're gonna have some good action coming up. Now for a quick disclaimer: 

*That song was taken from _Pearls of Lutra_ by Brian Jacques, with a few minor alterations.

Okay, now to answer all of those wonderful reviews. : )

Ishandahalf: I have to agree with you about the crack thing. ^_^

Barbara Ruiz: Evil, ain't I? I love suspense, because it means you'll be back for more!

Krazy Xanadu: Well you have officially made my week. Unfortunately, the updates are going to slow down once school starts. ;_; Can't wait to read chapter 7 of yer fic!

Rogue151: about Kurt being like the Boris guy, I did that on purpose, cuz Boris was played by Allen Cumming, the same guy who plays Nightcrawler in X2. I just wanted to see if anyone could make that mental leap. And yes, Jean is an airhead. Hands up, whose surprised? *looks around* Nobody? Go figure. DAREDEVIL ROCKS! It's got Jennifer Garner _and_ Ben Affleck, what more could you possibly want??? (Except maybe Vaughn.) Nobody at my house watches Alias as religiously as I do. And on the off chance that they actually see an episode, they never want to talk about it afterwords…y'know, I have the same problem with the books I read…I think I know who the Haldki guy is now, but I could be wrong. Ah, well. Later.

Yumiko: Oookay.

The Last Ronin: I know Forge isn't new, but he isn't exactly a main character either. I try to focus on the people I know a lot about. And you're right, short fics are suspenseful. I'm trying to learn how to make long chapters that are just as suspenseful.

Shadow of the Sword: Sir, yes sir! 

Okay, now that I've spent the last ten minutes screwing around with this POS, I finally think I know why FF.Net isn't accepting it. AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It'll be a miracle if I get this thing up within the next hour.

Bye.


	13. The Poem

A/N: Okay folks, here's the deal. I finished chapter 13 this morning, but FF.Net won't let me update. Now, I usually put off starting new chapters until the previous ones are uploaded, but since I can't upload it, I'm gonna go ahead and write this one. On the upside, this means y'all will get two chapters at the same time. On the downside, it may take awhile.

But enough of that. Let's get on with this chapter, eh? If I manage to get chapter 13 up before I'm done with this one, then I'll put the reviews at the end. Otherwise I will answer reviews of both chapters in my next update. K? K.

…Important update: I FINNALY GOT THAT FRIGGIN CHAPTER UPLOADED!!!!!!!!! GLORY HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay I'm done. (Btw, technically, this should be on, like page four, but I didn't want to interrupt the story. But that gives you an idea of how long it took for me to defeat the system.)

Rogue looked from Kitty to Kurt and back again. They were both staring at her, disbelief showing plainly on their faces. Slowly, the two started laughing.

"You?" Kitty managed between fits of laughter. "In the CIA?" 

"Very funny, Rogue. Now, seriously, vhat do you need to tell us?" Kurt asked wiping tears from his eyes.

Rogue expected this kind of reaction. She kept her expression as stony as possible. Not an easy feet around those two.

"Ah'm not joking, Kurt. Ah am a Special Agent fer the Central Intelligence Agency."

"Like, whatever Rogue," Kitty said. "Good joke, now do you really need us for something, or did you just want to try out that joke on somebody?"

They looked at Rogue expectantly.

"It's not a joke. Ah work fer the CIA, an' they want me to recruit you two."

"Vell now ve _know_ you're joking," Kurt said. 

The Goth rubbed her temples. This was going to be more difficult then she had thought. Rogue suddenly froze as an idea struck her, cursing herself for not thinking of it sooner. Going over to the bookcase, she selected a thick novel, and opened it up. Inside it was a compartment that Rogue had used to hide any number of things from instructions to new gadgets that she had received for missions. Now it held only two things: the gun, and what looked like a passport. Rogue took out the passport, then returned the book to the shelf. She handed the passport to Kitty.

The girl opened the passport, and stared at it. Her eyes widened. Wordlessly she passed it to Kurt. His reaction was instantaneous.

"Verdammen." 

He was holding Rogue's I.D. There, in plain black and white, were the words _Special Agent Rogue, CIA_. She took it from his hand and put it back in the book, as they both stood there, shell-shocked. Kitty sat down heavily on the bed, followed by Kurt.

"_Now_ do you believe me?"

They nodded dumbly. Kitty spoke very slowly; obviously still coming to terms with what she had just learned.

"Why are you telling us?" she asked, to stunned to remember to put in the word 'like.' "I mean, don't CIA agents usually keep themselves under the radar?"

Rogue nodded. "Right. But like Ah said to Kurt, Ah'm s'posed to recruit you two."

"Verdammen."

"It's a lot t'take in, Ah know. An' Ah wish Ah had more time to explain it all to ya, but yer s'posed to go to CIA headquarters tomorrow after school."

"Warum?" Kurt asked, still to shocked to recall any English. "Warum uns?" 

"Because you both have qualities that the CIA needs. Kurt, yer ability to teleport, along with yer acrobatic skills, makes you perfect fer field work. An' Kitty, yer smart enough to run the entire tech center single-handedly. Ah mean--" She was interrupted by the computer's monotone voice saying, "you've got mail!" 

She clicked on the 'get new mail' button, hoping that she hadn't been interrupted because of a stack of junk mail. It was an encoded message from O'Connell.

__

To: Agent Rogue

I trust that you have explained the situation to Pryde and Wagner by now. If not, do so immediately. There has been a change in plans, you to come here as soon as you have told them,

Agent O'Connell

"We have to go," she said, pointing to the message. They nodded. Kitty and Rogue grabbed their coats, while Kurt quickly 'ported over to his room to grab his.

"Ah'll let the professor know we're going out." Rogue closed her eyes, and concentrated on projecting her thoughts.

__

Professor, Kitty, Kurt, an' Ah are goin' out fer a bit, okay?

All right, just remember that you have school tomorrow. Don't stay out too late. 

"He says its fahn. C'mon, let's go."

"Um, Rogue? Vhere exactly are we going?"

They had been walking for almost ten minutes. Rogue pointed to the Library in front of them.

"The library? Like, who would have guessed?" Kitty said. They trudged into the silent building, looking to Rogue for instruction. She led them into the elevator, where she proceeded to push both buttons simultaneously.

"Voice identification?" asked the computerized voice.

"Rogue."

Voice identification confirmed. Proceeding to CIA headquarters."

Kitty whistled. "I do not believe this," she said. Kurt nodded.

"Just wait," Rogue said, "It gets better."

Her words proved true when the doors slid open to reveal the main working floor. Kurt and Kitty both gasped at the sight.

"C'mon, you can gawk later. Ah've got a job to do here."

Rogue led them across the floor to the Briefing Room. As usual, everyone else was already there. She pulled her companions into the room, and began the introductions.

"Ah'd like y'all to meet Kurt Wagner and Katherine Pryde," she said, opting to use Kitty's full name. "These are Special Agents Derrick O'Connell, Sharita Corprew, and Geoffrey Smith."

O'Connell nodded, and Rogue took a seat, motioning Kitty and Kurt to do the same. When all three were settled, O'Connell stood up.

"First of all, I'd like to welcome you two. Although you aren't technically agents yet, I am confident that you will be joining our ranks soon enough. You will be starting your training tomorrow, at exactly four o'clock. Don't be late. For right now, though, you will be given a tour by Agent Roberts, who should be arriving momentarily.

As if on cue, the door opened, and a middle-aged man stepped inside. O'Connell indicated that they were to go with him. A few seconds later they were gone. 

"Now, then," O'Connell said. "On to more pressing matters. We have managed to decode the message within the Eye. It appears to be some kind of poem."

"A poem?" Corprew asked. "Why would somebody go through all that trouble to hide a poem?"

O'Connell shook his head.

"I don't know. And none of the translators do, either."

"Well, what does it say?" Rogue asked. Having been instrumental in the recovery of both the Eye and the Keystone, she was eager to know what it held. O'Connell cleared his throat, and began reading from a piece of paper.

"_A traveler's path through the land of wrath_

Can lead to a heart that's numb,

Where children's tears are met with jeers

Lies a land that's known to some.

Where war is life and a soldier's knife

Draws blood without a care,

From a land apart with a heroes heart

Comes the one with the cloud-framed hair.

The heart was torn and the mind forlorn

When they came to take the Star,

Hurled to her fate through a swirling gate

To this, a land afar.

For you she came though you have no name

This war shall be fought for all,

One day you will feast in the den of a beast

The dark one called L'Kal."

A heavy silence followed. Rogue turned the words over in her mind, trying to understand what they meant. She knew that it had to be more than just a poem. Like Corprew had said, no one would go through all the trouble of encoding a poem into a ruby unless there was something important about it. Unfortunately, Rogue had no idea what that was.

O'Connell was obviously thinking the same thing. "So, does anyone have any idea what this might mean?"

"Why don't we just take it one line at a time?" Corprew suggested. Everyone agreed that that would be the best way to go.

"Alright," said O'Connell. "The first line says 'a traveler's path through the land of wrath.'"

Rogue shook her head. "That's not very helpful. Next line."

" 'Can lead to a heart that's numb.' "

"I think that means the place, the 'land of wrath,' is very sad," Corprew supplied.

"Sounds reasonable. That would explain the next line, 'where children's tears are met with jeers.' Sounds pretty sad to me. Next is, 'Lies a land that's known to some.' "

"Again, no help," Rogue said. "That's just telling us that they're describin' a place."

" 'Where war is life and a soldier's knife.' "

Smith shook his head. "Not even a complete thought. I think you have to read it two lines at a time."

O'Connell studied the paper. "I think you're right. So it's, 'Where war is life and a soldier's knife draws blood without a care.' "

"Now we know why it's called 'the land of wrath,' " Rogue said. "It's a country at war. That explains the part 'bout kids crying, to. When your fightin' a war, you don't pay much attention t'sad little kids."

Corprew nodded. "You're probably right…but, how do you know that?"

Rogue shrugged. "Ah have the psyche of a Holocaust survivor permanently stuck in mah head." She glanced down at her watch. "Ah have t'go."

"The other two should be at the elevator," O'Connell said as she stood up.

He proved true to his word. Kitty and Kurt were standing next to the elevator talking animatedly, while Agent Roberts watched, looking desperate to get away. Rogue couldn't say she blamed him. Kitty and Kurt were both talking a mile a minute, their sentences overlapping one another's.

"The tech lab was like, so cool! Did you see what kind of computers they had?"

"And a food court ze size of three football fields!"

"_Every_ kind. Dells, I-macs, Gateways--"

"Zey have a McDonald's! And a Taco-Bell! And Dairy Queen! I _love_ Dairy Queen!"

"--Thin screens, flat screens, laptops…they even have computers that aren't, like, in stores yet!"

"And it's all _free_! Ze government pays for it all!"

Agent Roberts saw Rogue, and breathed an audible sound of relief.

"Agent Rogue! Well, I guess I'll be going back to work."

He wasted no time in disappearing down a side hallway.

"C'mon guys," Rogue said as she pushed the button for the elevator. "We have t'leave." 

"Rogue, zis place is awesome! Ve saw ze food court--"

"And the tech lab--"

"And ze hangar--"

"And the firing range--"

"And ze armory--"

"And the--"

"OKAY! OKAY! Ah get the picture. Man. Just get in the elevator already!"

Kurt and Kitty did as commanded, enormous grins painted on their faces.

Jennsen was starting to realize more and more just how far away from home she really was. In this place there were no horses, just metallic things called 'cars.' From what she had gathered from the twins, magic did not exist. Nothing she had ever learned was relevant here. Even her clothes were outrageously different. It was depressing.

Thoughts like these dominated Jennsen's mind as she stood out on the balcony of Dan and Kevin's apartment, looking down at a park. She leaned on the railing, watching an elderly couple walking hand-in-hand under the moonlight. 

Her parents used to love moonlit strolls.

And she would never see them again.

A tear rolled down her cheek at the thought of her parents. It was so hard to think that just yesterday she had been sitting in the Abbey with her family and friends. They had been a beacon of hope for the poor wretches of their war-stricken land; a place where wounded soldiers could receive medicine and weary travelers could rest and get something to eat. 

But that was no more. The Abbey had been tainted by the Emperor's killers, and now every person she ever knew was dead. Her parents, the Brothers and Sisters, everyone who had been in their care…all slaughtered to fulfill the dream of a lunatic.

Another tear fell, dripping off her chin and then falling to the ground below. It was followed by another, and another. Jennsen realized that she was sobbing now, but could not stop it. Not with the image of her mother, covered in blood from the cut on her throat, burned into her memory.

"Jennsen?"

She glanced over her shoulder at Dan. He was standing in the frame of the sliding door, watching her.

"Yeah?" she asked, hoping he wouldn't notice that she was crying.

He stepped outside, closing the door behind him. "What're you doing out here? It's freezing!"

She didn't answer, turning her attention back to the couple below. They were sitting on a bench now, talking.

"Is their something interesting going on down there?" he asked. He stepped up next to her, looking over the rail. 

"Dan, I just want to be alone, if it's alright with you."

"Sure, thing. I totally under--are you crying?" 

Jennsen quickly looked away from him.

"No," she lied.

"Why are you crying?" He put a tender hand on her shoulder, urging her to look at him.

"I'm not c-crying," she said, her voice breaking. "Just leave me alone!"

Dan nodded. "Okay, if that's what you want. But I'm right inside if you need anything." She didn't answer him, and a few seconds later she heard the door slide open, then closed.

Her eyes drifted back down to the couple that had first made her think of her parents.

They were gone.

A/N: two chapters in one day! Go me!

Some sad stuff at the end, but plenty of humor in the middle to balance it out (I think). And we FINALLY know what the stone says. Yippee!

Some German translations:

Verdammen = damn

Warum = why

Warum uns = why us (more or less) 

Ja = yes

Now as you've probably guessed, I do not have any reviews to answer at this time. And even if I did, I wouldn't bother with 'em anyway, because it's 12:41 at night. (Surprisingly, though, I'm not very tired. I seem to have some sort of "writer's high." So maybe I _would_ bother with reviews...) That said, all reviews for this and the previous chapter will be answered next chapter. 

Okay, I have to go outsmart FF.Net. Wish me luck!


	14. The Dreams

A/N: Well, here I am, with yet another chapter. I haven't had a chance to check for reviews yet, which means I have absolutely _no_ idea what you guys thought of the last two chapters. Ah, well. (I use that phrase _way_ too much, lol.) 

From now on review answers will be at the end, because it's easier on me.

OK, can somebody _please_ tell me why FF.Net is giving me such a hard time with my uploads?!?! It's driving me insane! Help!

I'm going to start the chapter now, before I get lost in all my self-pity.

Rogue had a headache. A very _bad_ headache. It had started as a dull pain during her sixth period pop quiz, and had been escalating ever since. Now, sitting in the Briefing Room, trying to sort out the poem, it was border lying a migraine. 

They were trying to work out the lines "From a land apart with a hero's heart comes the one with cloud-framed hair." Unfortunately, they had no idea what cloud-framed hair was.

Rogue began rubbing her temples.

"Does anybody have an idea?" As an afterthought she added, "Or an aspirin?"

"I don't have any aspirin," Corprew said, "but I do have an idea. Clouds are supposed to have silver linings, right? So, maybe this person has silver highlights…or something…" she glanced around at the skeptical faces around her. "Never mind."

"Why don't we just move on to the next lines?" Smith suggested. O'Connell picked up the paper with the poem on it.

" 'The heart was torn and the mind forlorn when they came to take the Star.' What star? How do you take a star?"

"Maybe it's a metaphor fer something," Rogue ventured. "Y'know, something that maybe looks like a star."

O'Connell shrugged. "Works for me. Now what about, 'hurled to her fate through a swirling gate to this, a land afar.' That makes zero sense. What is a swirling gate?"

"Prob'ly another metaphor. What Ah don't get is, how can this be a land afar?"

Corprew was ready with the answer. "If you're from, say, another continent, than to you, this would be a land afar."

"I agree," O'Connell said. Corprew beamed, glad to have made a good suggestion. "Maybe this person was forced out by war, so she came here. It's happened before."

"That still doesn't explain about the swirling gate or the star," said Smith, ever the pessimist.

"Let's just keep goin' and maybe we'll find somethin' helpful," Rogue said.

" 'For you she came, though you have no name, this war shall be fought for all.' Not a lot of information. All we know is that she--whoever _she_ is--came here to find somebody without a name. Which tells us absolutely nothing. 'One day you will feast in the den of a beast, the dark one called L'Kal.' That's obviously a name."

Rogue nodded. "And Ah'm pretty sure he's the bad-guy here."

Smith glared at her. "Very astute."

She ignored him. "Maybe L'Kal is the reason she had to go through that swirling gate? Maybe he's the one looking for the star?"

O'Connell nodded. "Perhaps the girl with the 'cloud-framed hair' thinks the one without a name can help her."

Corprew froze. "Wait. Wait one second. What if the person without a name _is_ the girl with cloud-framed hair?"

O'Connell's brow furrowed. "She went looking for herself?"

"No, I mean, what if neither one of those are meant to describe the girl who went through the gate? Just the one she was looking for?"

"It makes sense, I guess…but it still doesn't help us much."

Corprew was practically bouncing in her chair with excitement.

"I know who it is."

"Who?" all three asked at once.

"It's Rogue."

All eyes turned to the Goth. Her jaw was slack, as she absorbed the information.

"What." She swallowed. "What makes y' say that?"

"Think about it. 'Cloud-framed hair.' Clouds are white. So are your bangs. 'She who has no name.' Nobody knows your real name, just your code name: Rogue."

"This is impossible. This thing was written over a hundred years ago. It can't possibly be about me." Rogue sounded as though she was trying to convince her self as well. "Can it?"

"I don't know," O'Connell said. "But I think we have to face the possibility that this is about you, and that it is more than just a poem."

"Like what, a prophecy?" she asked, her nerves making her resort to sarcasm.

"Yes."

Soldiers. Everywhere she turned there were soldiers, bristling with weapons. Swords, knives, axes, bows, hatchets. They had broken the outer gates, and were flooding the Abbey like poison floods a man's blood. She ran. Through the main door, up the stairs, her heart pounding against her ribs all the while. Behind her were more of the vermin, brandishing swords. A few Brothers blocked the stairwell behind her, so that she could escape. She turned just in time to see one of them get impaled on a sword.

A scream escaped her lips as she fled upwards to the infirmary, with the soldiers right behind her. She reached the door, but her hands were shaking to badly to work the handle. The soldiers were at the top of the stairs. They were going to kill her!

Suddenly the door swung open, and she ran inside, slamming the door on two soldiers. Her parents were standing there, along with a few Brothers and Sisters, the Abbot, and all of the patients. A saber broke through the door.

"We have to get you out of here," her father said. She shook her head.

"No. Daddy, no! I won't leave you!" She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could, as if she thought he might fly away if she let go. 

He hugged her gently. Outside they could hear the vermin banging on the door.

"Jenn, listen to me. You have to protect the Amulet. Understand?"

"No! I'm not going without you!"

Her mother put a hand on her shoulder.

"Honey, please. You have to do this. Be brave for me, okay?"

"No," she sobbed into her father's chest. "I don't wanna be brave. I wanna be with you."

Her father stroked her hair soothingly. To the Abbott he said, "Begin the spell."

The Abbott nodded. He and the Brothers and Sisters sat in a circle, and began chanting.

"_Nirva sholem ka. Nirva sholem ka. Nirva sholem ka."_

"Daddy, please. I don't want to leave you!"

"_Nirva sholem ka. Nirva sholem ka."_

"Mama, don't make me go. Please!"

"_Nirva sholem ka. Nirva sholem ka. Nirva sholem ka."_

A spot of light appeared in the center of the circle. As they chanted, it grew larger, until it became a swirling mass of color, large enough for a grown man to fit through.

__

CRACK!

The door had been torn from its hinges. Soldiers poured into the room, slaying everyone they saw. An axe separated a Brother from his head. The Sister next to him looked perplexedly down at her chest, which seemed to have grown an arrow. The Abbot stood up. "Get Jenn through the portal. We'll hold off the AGGCK!" A sword cut open his stomach, and he collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.

"Jenn, go."

"But Daddy!"

"Go!" He shoved her backwards into the swirling light. As she fell into it, the world seemed to move in slow motion. She saw the soldier grab her mother's hair, pulling her head back. Saw him drag his knife along her exposed throat, then dump her lifeless body on the floor.

She watched, horrified, as an axe swung at her father's neck, severing his head.

She screamed.

Jennsen awoke from the nightmare, trembling. The sheets were tangled around her arms and legs, completely drenched in sweat. Her breathing was ragged. She tried to forget the nightmare, but it was impossible. The image of her father's head, lying on the floor, kept pushing itself into her mind.

She curled up into a tight little ball, and cried herself to sleep. 

At that exact same time Rogue was tossing and turning in her bed, plagued by strange dreams. She would see everything for just a few seconds, then it would switch to another scene, as if someone were changing the channel on the TV.

__

Flash!

A large stone building being charged by soldiers. They tore down the door, hacking away with swords and axes. Screams could be heard in the background.

__

Flash!

A room full of people wearing dark brown robes. A girl about Rogue's age clung to an older man, screaming. "No! Daddy No!" The door broke; soldiers rushed in. Chaos. The girl was pushed into a swirling light.

__

Flash!

A man laughing. A shrill, blood-chilling, heart-stopping laugh. His face was hidden from view, draped in the shadows. All Rogue could make out were his golden eyes that appeared to glow in the darkness. 

"Who are you?" she demanded of the figure. He laughed even harder, sending chills up and down her spine. Then the laughter stopped, and he growled out on single, menacing word.

"L'Kal."

Rogue sat bolt upright in bed. The images of the nightmare still played in her thoughts. She leaned against the headboard, trying to get her breathing back to normal.

"Rogue, are you okay?" 

Rogue jumped slightly at the sound of Kitty's voice.

"Ah'm fine," she said. Kitty didn't answer, and it was too dark to see her reaction.

"What're you doin' up?" Rogue asked, not liking the silence. She heard Kitty shift in her bed.

"I'm to excited to sleep, y' know? I just can't believe all this is really happening. It's amazing."

"The shock wears off."

"How long have you been an agent?"

Rogue winced. Kitty had a lot to learn about being in the CIA.

"Kitty, if yer gonna talk about the job here at the mansion, you have to watch what you say."

"Sorry. So, how long?"

"I joined two months after I came here."

"You've been an age--I mean, you've been there _that_ long? I had no idea!"

"Ah know." She faked a yawn. This conversation was getting boring. "Ah'm goin' back to sleep now. G' night." 

A/N: Not the best chapter ever, but it's alright. I had severe writer's block when I sat down to do this. The dream sequences are the only parts that I think are any good. The rest of it I may have to disown later on.

Now, onward with those wonderful reviews! 

Shadow of the Sword: I hope Jennsen's story makes more sense now. If not, things will become VERY clear in the future.

Ishandahalf: I think pushing all the pretty buttons could result in--among other things--your immediate execution sans a trial by jury. 

Rogue151: The fight was fun to write, and I think it came out better than the sparring match did. You're completely right about Kurt. In retrospect, I probably should have made him say something like 'mein Gatt.' (My God)… Are they really going out?? That would be majorly cool! I'll be sure to R&R your story soon. Oh, and I hope you get that DVD so you can tell me about all the cool features! 

Krazy Xanadu: I am still having problems with updates, because I can't remember what I did to get the last chapter up. I think it may have something to do with my 'new' computer--a.k.a. The Clunker. Is the next Dimension game available for PC? I've only seen it on X-Box (Which I don't have) Thanx fer reviewin, and I hope I break 100 too!

Anime addicted: you'll notice Rogue starts the chapter with a migraine… 

OK, that's finished. Um, nothing else to say, except read Crazed Maniac02's story.

Bye y'all!


	15. The Student

A/N: I have good news and bad news. The good news: I have discovered why my previous uploads weren't uploading, and the problem has been fixed. The bad news: I spent TWO FRIGGIN HOURS writing this chapter, and then the F***ING POWER GOES OUT FOR TWO F***ING SECONDS, AND I LOSE THE WHOLE MOTHER F***ING DOCUMENT!!! So I am now re-typing this whole chapter, and (as you can probably guess) I'm pretty ticked off right now. Let this be a lesson to ya, kids. ALWAYS have some kind of backup saved.

OK, let's move on to happier things. Like the fact that I have 91 reviews! Just need 9 more. Alright, folks, it's up to you. So read this chapter just as quick as y' please, then write those sterling reviews! First 9 peeps get…A DATE WITH THEIR FAVORITE CHARACTER!!!! (5 bucks says Gambit gets the most requests.)

Now, here is the new and (hopefully) improved chapter 15! Here's hopin' this one doesn't disappear on me!

The next few weeks passed without event. The CIA was devoting most of its time to running various tests on the Eye. There was also much debate as to weather or not Rogue was the girl mentioned in the poem.

Kurt and Kitty were doing quite well with their agent training. Not surprisingly, they excelled in hand-to-hand combat. Kurt discovered he had a knack for using firearms, which was odd, given his non-violent nature. Kitty, meanwhile, was devoting her time to learning how to use, write, and encode advanced computer software. She did exceptionally well…when she didn't accidentally phase through the hard-drive. No less than five computers had been destroyed that way. Thankfully, no information was lost. After the first accident, Kitty was given only outdated or unused computers to play with.

At home, Rogue would tell Kurt and Kitty about all of the high-tech spy equipment she had hidden throughout the mansion. They were amazed to discover that Rogue had hidden bug scramblers in every room of the mansion--including theirs.

"Vhere are they?" asked Kurt. It was Friday afternoon, and they were hanging out in his room (quite literally, in Kurt's case. He was hanging upside-down from the chandelier). Kitty and Rogue lounged on his bed. Rogue glanced around the room.

"Let's see. There's one in that lamp…and the alarm clock…and the phone," she said, pointing to each object as she named it.

"Vhen did you plant all those?"

"While you were asleep."

Kurt dropped to the floor, landing lightly on the balls of his feet.

"But I alvays lock my door."

Kitty sniggered. "Oh, come _on_, Kurt. Do you really think a little lock could stop her?"

"I s'pose you're right," Kurt admitted. Suddenly the Professor's voice filled their heads.

Everyone please report to the living room immediately. We have a new student. 

The trio wasted no time in getting downstairs. The living room was packed with students, as well as a few teachers. There was no sign of Xavier or the new kid.

"He probably wants t' make an entrance," Rogue said. She was right.

As if on cue, Xavier wheeled in, followed by the new student. Rogue caught sight of his face, and had to fight to maintain a bored expression. Thankfully, she had been trained to keep up a façade of calm, even in the most difficult of situations. This was one of those situations.

The Professor started to speak. "Everyone, I would like for you to meet Remy LeBeau, also called Gambit."

Gambit's red-on-black eyes scanned the crowd in front of him, stopping when they came into contact with Rogue's. For one long, intense second they stared at each other, unblinking. Rogue prayed he wouldn't recognize her. Then Gambit looked away; it was over as quickly as it had started. Rogue let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

"Kurt," Xavier was saying, "Remy will be staying in your room. Please help get him settled in. As for the rest of you, feel free to continue putting off your homework."

The students needed no second urging. Within minutes the room was empty, except for Gambit, Kurt, Kitty, and Rogue. Kurt took it upon himself to make the introductions.

"I'm Kurt, also called Nightcrawler. This is Kitty, also called Shadowcat, and my sister Rogue."

"Bonjoir," Gambit said. Once again his gaze fell on Rogue. "Do I know you, chere?"

"Ah doubt it, swamp rat," Rogue said. Gambit smiled.

"Swamp rat, am I? You're one t' talk, lil river rat. You are from Mississippi, no?"

Rogue nodded. "Now if you'll excuse us, me an' Kitty have to go to the library for a school project."

Kitty caught on immediately. "Yeah, that's right. Hey, Kurt, don't you, like, have a research project too?"

"Ja," Kurt said, following their lead. "Let me show Remy our room, zhen ve can go."

"He's at the mansion," Rogue said. The three of them were in the Briefing Room, along with O'Connell, Smith, and Corprew. She had just explained about Gambit's enrollment in the Institute.

"Has he identified you yet?" O'Connell asked. Rogue shook her head.

"Ah don't think so. He definitely suspects something, though. He asked me if we'd ever met before."

"I can't believe he's here in Bayville," Corprew said. "That little runt! My leg still hurts from when he blasted it with that card."

"You don't think he could've tracked us here, do you?" Rogue asked, ignoring Corprew. "Maybe he wants to get the Keystone back?"

This time it was Smith who answered. "I highly doubt it. More than likely, this is all one big coincidence. You _do_ live at a school for mutants," he pointed out.

"He's right, Rogue," Kurt said, speaking up for the first time since entering headquarters. 

"Ah s'pose…But what happens if he recognizes me?"

"Just deny it," O'Connell said simply. "It shouldn't be hard. After all, you're only sixteen; there's no way that you could be an undercover cop, or fly to England without alerting either of the two telepaths you live with. He'll have to believe you. Oh, and speaking of telepaths…" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box. He took off the lid, revealing three miniscule devices. Each one was the size of a pea, and paper-thin.

"What're those?" Rogue asked.

"Brainwave distorters," O'Donnell said. "Fresh from the tech-lab. I'm told that these can prevent any unwanted telepathic probing. It has something to do with increasing the electromagnetic output of your body whenever your adrenaline increases. Your adrenaline increases when you get probed unexpectedly, or unwontedly, alerting these things to go into effect. Then the electromagnetic pulse distorts brainwaves, making them impossible for telepaths to read."

Kitty appeared to be the only person who really under stood how they worked. Even O'Connell seemed a little confused as he explained it.

"There's one here for each of you three. If you'll come up here, the techies showed me how to attach them." The three lined up in front of him. "It goes on the back of the neck…turn around, Wagner. They're completely waterproof, so you can bathe and go swimming and whatever else you want to do." He placed one of the chips on Kitty's neck, then turned to Rogue. 

She didn't turn around. Instead, she was staring pointedly at his bare hands. He took the hint, and put on a pair of latex gloves. A few seconds later the chip was in place. Rogue couldn't even feel it, it was so light.

"How do you, like, get it off?" Kitty asked.

"Like this." O'Connell proceeded to show them how to remove the devises.

"What happens if we need to communicate through telepathy?" Rogue asked.

"It has no effect on telepathic communication. Don't bother asking why, because I haven't the foggiest. Just take my word for it. Now, you three need to get back to the mansion. I want you to keep an eye on LeBeau."

"Zhat should be easy," Kurt said. "He's my roommate!"

"Hey, Rogue, are you coming?" Kitty asked over her shoulder. She and Kurt were standing in front of the elevator, but Rogue was lagging behind.

"You two go ahead, Ah'll be back later. There's somethin' Ah wanna do."

Kitty nodded, and they disappeared into the elevator.

Rogue followed one of the side hallways to a door that had the name "Dr. Betsy Walker, Ph.D." written on it.

Rogue tapped lightly on the door.

"Come in!" called a voice from inside. Rogue opened the door, revealing what looked like a psychologist's office. There was a couch, a big, red armchair, and a desk. 

Seated behind the desk was a woman with curly blond hair and bright blue eyes, wearing a light pink business suit.

"Good afternoon Rogue," the woman said.

"Good afternoon, Doctor."

Rogue closed the door behind her, and sat down on the couch. 

"What brings you here?" the Doctor asked. "I thought I wasn't supposed to see you until Thursday? Well, it doesn't matter. You've come to work on your powers, I presume?"

Rogue nodded. "Ah think we're finally making progress, an' I just didn't want to wait another week."

"Works for me. Now I've been doing quite a bit of research, and I believe that every mutant, including you, has something in them that allows them to control their power."

"That's what the Professor thinks," Rogue broke in. "He says it's like an on/off switch."

Dr. Walker nodded. "Sounds to me like the Professor knows his stuff. I also believe that, subconsciously, you already know what your switch is." 

Rogue leaned against the back of the couch. "If Ah already know what the switch is, then how come Ah can't control mah pow'r?"

"Well that's because you haven't found it yet," the Doctor said.

"But you just said that Ah already know what it is."

The Doctor sighed. "Rogue, Ah said that your _subconscious_ mind knows. But your conscious mind, the mind that controls your power, doesn't know. So, your conscious mind has to find it."

"Okay, how do I do that?" Rogue waited expectantly for answer. When none came, she glanced at Dr. Walker. The woman was thoughtfully rolling a pencil between thumb and forefinger. She spoke slowly, more to herself than to Rogue.

"I don't think the search will be all too difficult. The hard part will be recognizing the switch. I doubt it will be sitting there with a giant label across it. And then, once you've found it, we'll have to test it. That could get a bit sticky." She lapsed into silence, staring at the blank space in front of her. 

Rogue glanced at her watch. It was getting late, and she didn't want to risk another close call.

"I've got it!"

The doctor's sudden yell made Rogue jump.

"We'll use hypnosis," the woman said, oblivious to the death glare she was receiving. "That way we'll be dealing with your subconscious, which already knows where the switch is. But I'm afraid it's too late to do that now. I guess we'll do it Thursday. Agreed?"

"Fine with me." Rogue had already gotten up, and was gone before the Doctor could say another word. 

A/N: WOOO! GAMBIT!!! Did you guys really think that I would introduce him to the story, and then never use him again? I'd never do that to a character I like. Now, Jean or Evan, on the other hand…

Well I have plenty o' reviews, includin' some from new readers. Yippee Skippy! 

Crazed Maniac 02: So many reviews! So little time! Sonic and Shadow, eh? Hmmm, I wonder who your target audience is. Mine is any idiot who'll leave a review. ^_^ As soon as I get my email, I will bombard you with letters, saying things like "Lookit, I have an email address. WHEEEEE!!!" Well, love, french fries, hot guys, and spaghetti ice! (Actually, I think it's spelled ies, but who cares?) Love ya! = P

Rogue151: The dream sequence was the only part that came easily, the rest had to be forced, bargained with, and threatened. I hope you get that subscription. Heck, maybe you'll get both!

Krazy Xanadu: Guess I'm gonna hafta do game research. 9 REVIEWS TO GO! HOORAY! I think I have beaten The Clunker into submission…finally.

Yumiko: Take a wild guess.

Risty: Ooh, a fellow Redwall fan. Yes, it was adapted from the one about Mariel. I was just having a heck of a time coming up with one on my own, and that's one of my favorite Redwall poems.

Rogue77: Here, I updated! Just for you! (Well, maybe not JUST for you, it was more for my readers in general, but you're a reader, so that means it IS for you. If you fallow my insane logic, that is.)

helpfull germanfairy: Thanks a lot! It was very…erm…helpful. Man, I wish I had you around when we were studying past participles last year. That about killed me! And I still don't get it! Ah, well…

FYI, school will be starting in 2 days…unfortunately ;_; …so I won't be able to update as often. I'll try to do at least one update a week. If I can write more, I will. 

That about wraps it up for today, peeps. And remember, first 9 reviewers get a date with the XME character of their choice. The reviewing may begin…………NOW!


	16. The Question

A/N: First off, I'm sorry it took so long. School just started and I'm determined to get A's and B's this year. I _have_ been working hard on this chapter in my free time, but there isn't a lot of that. It's Friday night now, but I know I won't get all of this typed up tonight. And since I'm going somewhere tomorrow, this chapter probably won't get finished until Sunday.

On a side note: **_I HAVE 109 REVIEWS!!!!!_** Thanx to all my reviewers for making that possible.**__**

Well, without further adieu, here is chapter 17. I hope it's worth the wait.

Rogue awoke late Saturday morning to discover that her roommate was already gone. The mansion was calm, there was no shouting, no radios or TVs blaring, just sweet silence. In fact, the only noise came from outside. Rogue strained her ears, and found that she could hear people outside yelling and laughing. Wanting to know what was going on, she got out of bed and walked over to the window.

Peering through the glass she saw that the ground was completely white. Snow covered everything: the bushes, the fountain, the trees, all of it. It was a beautiful sight…except for the students running around in it. 

Apparently the other kids were having a snowball fight of epic proportions. Rogue watched as they pelted one another with snow, trying to decide if they were playing teams, or every man for him self. It appeared to be the latter. 

She watched Amara hit Scott in the back, then duck behind a tree where he couldn't see her. Scott saw Kurt, and, assuming he was the assailant, hit him with a fastball. The elf was forced to teleport out of the way. Unfortunately for Scott, this caused his snowball to hit Mr. McCoy. McCoy gathered up a boulder-sized snowball, and tossed it at Scott. The boy was knocked flat on his butt. His attacker, on the other hand, suddenly found himself surrounded by a dozen Jamies, each one armed with snowballs. Rogue couldn't help laughing as McCoy was driven into the snow.

Grinning, she stepped back from the window and quickly got dressed and went downstairs. She considered going outside, but changed her mind. It wasn't often that she got the mansion to herself. Granted, it wasn't as if the other's had _left_, but it was still better than nothing. Her mind made up, Rogue flopped onto the couch and turned on the TV to watch cartoons. She flipped through the channels until she saw her favorite super hero. The theme song was just starting to play. Rogue began singing along, softly at first, and then louder. Eventually she was on her feet busting out some dance moves as well, her voice ringing clearly throughout the house.

"_Oh yeah, yeah! _

I'm your basic average girl,

And I'm here to save the world.

You can't stop me 'cause I'm

Kim Possible.

There is nothing I can't do.

If you're in danger precious

Know that I am on my way!

(Know that I am on my way!)

It doesn't matter where or when there's trouble

If you just call my name:

Kim Possible!

Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me,

When you wanna Paige me it's okay.

Whenever you need me baby

Call me, beep me if you wanna reach me!

Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me!

Doesn't matter where, doesn't matter when.

I will be there for you till the very end.

Danger or trouble I'm there on the double

You know that you always can call

Kim Possible!

Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me!" 

Rogue stopped dancing, smiling broadly. Suddenly she heard someone clapping behind her, and spun around. It was Gambit. He had obviously been outside, as his dark hair was speckled white. For once his trench coat was not on, so she could see his shirt. It was black, with long sleeves that nevertheless showed off his sinewy arms. He had that same, playful grin she had seen on him the very first time they had met.

"Ah didn't realize Ah had an audience," Rogue said, feeling her cheeks turn scarlet. "How long've you been standin' there?"

He shrugged. "Long enough to know you got a beautiful voice, chere. It's a pity you don' use it more often."

She felt her cheeks grow hotter, and pretended to look at the TV so he wouldn't notice. 

"Mind if Remy joins you?"

"With what?" she asks, looking at him again. He pointed to the TV.

"Oh. Um, okay, Ah guess."

Rogue reclaimed her seat on the couch. To her surprise, Gambit sat right next to her. As in, they were almost touching. She started to scoot away before remembering that they both had on long sleeves, and there wasn't any danger. It was still a little uncomfortable, though. No one had ever sat this close to her before…especially not a guy. Rogue discovered that she breath as well as usual.

"So, who's she?" Gambit asked, pointing to the screen and breaking her out of her reverie.

"That's Kim Possible. She's a teen superhero."

"Jus' like you, chere."

"Only she doesn't have powers."

"And she's not as pretty as you."

Rogue looked at Gambit, and was met with his captivating red eyes. His expression had changed. It was still playful, but there was more to it now. The glint in his eyes, the curve of his lips, the tilt of his head; they all suggested that there was something beneath the playfulness. 

His gloved hand reached up towards her face. Instinctively she pulled back, but he caught her chin with his thumb. Rogue's mouth was suddenly very dry. Her breathing quickened ever so slightly.

"You got beautiful eyes, chere."

He leaned forward, and Rogue realized that he was going to kiss her. She gently pushed him away.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking slightly hurt.

"Ah only just met you yesterday, swamp rat. Ah barely know you."

He grinned. "Den maybe we should get to know each other a little better. Say, over dinner? Tonight?"

Rogue couldn't believe it. He was actually asking her out on a date. Her stomach erupted into a million butterflies.

"Ah guess it's a date."

Two weeks. That's how long it had been since Rosco, Nomed, and Vir'tan were sent through the portal, and they had yet to see any sign of The Guardian. Rosco was beginning to wonder if they were even in the right area, and said as much. The General sighed impatiently.

"Think about it, Geraldi. Do you really think the Emperor--may he live forever!--would send us here if The Guardian wasn't nearby?"

"I suppose not," Rosco agreed.

They were walking through what had to be the largest market any of them had ever seen. It was all one enormous building, with dozens off smaller shops and stands inside. A sign outside had dubbed it _Bayville Mall._ It was crawling with people carrying bags filled with items they had bought. The trio figured that a place this packed might be where their quarry was hiding. It would be an ideal place for her to buy a new wardrobe, so as to blend in with the crowd better.

The trio had already bought new clothes, as it had become apparent upon arriving that theirs did not fit in. So, after Vir'tan got a hold of some money (he didn't say exactly how he got it, and they didn't ask), they had gone to a small shop and bought new clothes. All three wore black, sleeveless shirts and black pants. They moved the daggers that had been at their belts into their boots, where they were covered up by the pants. Now, as they maneuvered through the sea of bodies, there was nothing to set them apart from the rest…aside from the fact that they were bare-sleeved in what these people deemed cold weather. Rosco couldn't imagine why everyone was running around with heavy wool shirts on. There was barely any snow outside, and he was plenty warm.

Rosco scanned the crowd, trying to remember what The Guardian looked like. He had only seen her face for a few seconds before she had portal-jumped. None of the faces he encountered matched his memory, nor were any of the people dressed in brown habits and cloaks. That wasn't surprising, though. If she had any sense, The Guardian would have changed her attire at the first opportunity.

"Alright," he said, "I vote we check the upstairs now."

The General nodded. "You and Vir'tan go up, I'll continue down here. Meet me at the front door in three hours. Be sure to search every square inch of that floor. Hua?"

"Hua!" Rosco said, veering away from Nomed, toward a set of moving stairs. He watched them, perplexed. Each step seemed to grow out of the floor, gliding steadily upward to the second level, where they just disappeared. People would walk onto the step emerging from the ground, ride it to the top, and then step off as it disappeared. 

Vir'tan pointed towards the stairs, obviously thinking they should get on. Rosco nodded. Boldly he stepped forward, standing on an emerging step. Behind him, Vir'tan did the same. Rosco looked down at the shrinking ground, amazed at how smooth the ride was. He felt rather than saw the step level out, preparing to disappear back into the ground, and had to step off quickly. The momentum caused him to take several large, awkward steps. He watched, slightly envious, as Vir'tan stepped effortlessly from the staircase.

"Show off," Rosco mumbled. The assassin fixed him with a cold, heart-numbing stare.

"Never mind."

"A _date_? Really? That is, like, so cool!"

Kitty was practically bouncing on her bed with excitement. It was an hour later, and Rogue had just relayed the events of that morning. Not surprisingly, the news that her roommate had an upcoming date sent Kitty into hyperactive mode. 

"So what're you gonna where? Are you guys going someplace casual, or somewhere dressy? Ooh, is he gonna take you to a real fancy restaurant? If you're going someplace fancy, you'll, like, need a dress or something. But if he's taking you someplace casual, a dress would be overdoing it. Maybe you should just wear a blouse and skirt. That's not _too_ dressy, so you could wear it anywhere…but what about shoes? You can't wear heels, because of all the snow--do you even _have_ heels? Or any dress shoes? Of course, you could always borrow some of mine--"

"Kitty!" Rogue had to shout in order to get the girl to be quiet.

"What?"

"When do you breathe?" Kitty stuck out her tongue at Rogue.

"So, where are you going?" she asked again.

"A little Cajun place called Spice City."

Kitty grimaced. "It sounds a bit tacky."

"It's better than Burger King," Rogue pointed out. Kitty nodded. 

"And it solves the dress code problem. Definitely casual. Now to pick the outfit…"

Rogue groaned inwardly. It was going to be a long day.

A/N: Yippee, a date! How fun! And they're finally looking for "The Guardian." Wonder what's gonna happen next? 

Btw, I have no idea why I put the Kim Possible theme in there. It just kinda happened, and I went with it. 

Wow, I have a lot of reviews. I feel so special. Okay, time to answer 'em!

Amanda14: Is this what you had in mind for Remy? It'll have to do! And as for Rogue's powers, I have plans for them. Big ones. 

Crazed Maniac 02: Of course you still get the date! Do you honestly think I would deny my homie G the chance to go out with Gambit? I read your new fic and reviewed (but of course). Um, nothing to say really. Check ya later!

The Untouchable Rogue: I think this chap answered your Romy question. As for the chips, I figure that since they're powered by the adrenaline response your body gives when it is threatened, they wouldn't affect friendly telepathic communication, because the adrenaline response isn't there. BUT if the conversation turns nasty and you start to feel threatened, they'll kick in. Does that satisfy your thirst for made-up knowledge? Hope so! 

Ishandahalf: Just wait till you see the next chappy. ; P

Anime addicted: I'm glad you like it.

Yumiko: you got that right! And Gambit is cocky, so flirting after only knowing her for a day is right up his alley.

Krazy Xanadu: 150? You got it! The idea of Kurt being good with guns hit me like a .44 slug (ha ha). I was trying to do something ironic, and, well, there you have it. 

Rogue77: Alas, I will not be updating quite as often due to my unfortunate enrollment in public school. Which reminds me, I've got homework to do. Darn.

Caliente: Yay! Another satisfied customer! More Remy, I promise! 

Panther Nesmith: I'd die with a schedule like that! But Roguey can make it work--she's cool like that.

Rogue151: I LOVED Impact! I can't believe she killed Mystique! It was so depressing. Poor little Kurt. He looked so sad. And he's got the whole puppy dog thing going, so when he looks sad, it really pulls the ol' heartstrings, y' know? But for a few seconds I actually thought Rogue was gonna save Mystique. Dude, what if she had? Ooh, I feel a fic coming on! And why why WHY didn't they mention it in No Good Deed? Don't the X-Men care that Kurt's mom is dead? Or that Rogue killed her? How does Professor X feel about this? So many unanswered questions!…Just like the last episode of another killer TV show which I won't name. *cough Alias cough* Anyhoo, you get a date with Remy. Have fun! 

Shadow of the Sword: I didn't say, 'cause I wanted to throw y'all off. But now I can safely say that yes, this is a Romy.

The Last Ronin: Where to start? Thanx for the detailed it review, it means a lot. I've tried to get onto that site, but it never let's me. The Internet gods must be angry. Oh well. As for all the stuff you mentioned being overkill for fanfiction--I would agree with you, except I plan on writing more than just fan fiction--I want to be a full-fledged author. This is like practice…and of course a way to have fun! Btw, are you ever going to update? I'm dying to know what happens! And you know, the whole not updating until you get good reviews breaks the cardinal rule of serious writing: thou shalt write, not for the masses, but for thy self. 

Finished! Whew! It only took me thirty minutes…not that I'm complaining, mind you. Ok, a few announcements to make. First, because of my good mood, everybody gets a date, AND a big screen TV. Aren't I generous? Second, in case you haven't figured it out already: This is a **ROMY**. Begin rejoicing…Now! 

OK, time to do your duty as readers and push the pink button. Come on people, I'm trying to reach 150. Help me out! L8r! 

__


	17. The Encounter

A/N: Before I begin, I'd like to give a **_HUGE_** thank-you to The Last Ronin for updating his marvelous fic, _Tears of a Phoenix_. If you are a Rogue fan (and I'm assuming most of you are) you must check this story out. Trust me, it's worth it.

Now, I have a quick announcement to make. I have decided to make this story into a trilogy, with _The Eye of Polyphemus_ being book one. Now I need a name for the trilogy. Ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Well, I've kept you from the story long enough. Read and enjoy, peeps.

"Come on, Jennsen, we're trying to beat the traffic!"

Jennsen ignored Kevin's urgings and continued lacing her sandals at the same relaxed pace. 

"How can you possibly wear sandals in the middle of winter?" Dan asked, looking through the window at the snow-covered ground. "It can't be more than about forty degrees out there."

She shrugged. "My home gets much colder zen zis." With a final tug on the string she had her sandals tied, and stood up. "Now, where are we going again?"

"Mall," Kevin said simply. "We need to by Christmas presents for our parents."

"And zis mall, it is like a marketplace?"

The twins nodded. Seeing that she was ready to leave they led her into the garage. Jennsen stared at the metallic creature that resided there. It was almost twice as tall as a horse, and several times as wide. There were large windows on the front and back, as well as smaller ones on the sides. Through them, she could see chairs inside. The creature was solid white, and had no legs to speak of. Instead, it had four large, black wheels. As Jennsen stared at it, he wasn't sure if it was an animal or a machine. She had seen many things like this outside; cars, they were called. The twins referred to this one as "The Jeep."

Dan went up to one side of The Jeep and pulled upward on a small lever; a door swung open. Jennsen stepped inside, sitting on the plush seat. It was by far more comfortable than a saddle. Dan got into the seat next to her, and Kevin sat in the back. 

Following their example, she grabbed hold of the black strap hanging behind her, pulling it across her lapel and hooking it into the small piece of metal on her seat. Then Dan put a small key into a hole on the side of the large wheel. The Jeep started to rumble. Dan took the wheel in his hands, and they began rolling backwards onto the street. 

Jennsen had never seen such a large market before. It was as if someone had taken all the shops in the world and put them under one enormous roof. There were shops selling clothes, toys, books, jewelry, food, shoes, and everything else imaginable. And the only thing in more abundance than the shops were the people. They moved in crowds of two's and three's, easily filling up the large space. Jennsen stepped closer to Dan, so as not to be lost in the sea of faces. 

"There's a really nice jewelry store upstairs. Let's start there," Dan said. He began leading them through the masses. Kevin arched his eyebrows.

"And exactly _how_ do you know where the good jewelry stores are?"

"Let me put it this way: I have _got_ to stop dating such high-maintenance women," Dan replied. 

They stopped in front of a pair of silver doors. There was a small button with an up arrow on it next to the doors. Kevin pushed it; it glowed yellow. Suddenly the doors slid open with a loud _ding!_ revealing a small room with glass walls. The twins stepped in side, with Jennsen following hesitantly. She looked around the small room, wondering why they were in there. Kevin laughed.

"I take it you've never been in an elevator."

"Ele-what?" Jennsen asked. As she spoke, Dan pressed a small button next to the closed doors. The room lurched, knocking Jennsen slightly off-balance. Kevin caught her and held her up. 

"Elevator," he said. "It moves you from one story of a building to the next. Look." He pointed to the glass walls; through them, Jennsen could see the ground moving away slowly. Fascination overcame her, and she stepped out of Kevin's steadying hold, pressing her face to the glass.

"How does it move?" she asked.

"Cables," Dan said. "They pull the elevator through the shaft."

"And what keeps ze cables from breaking?" 

"I'm not sure. But I do know that even if they break, the system is rigged so that the elevator cannot fall."

Jennsen was about to reply when the elevator came to a halt, leaving her stomach somewhere on the first floor. The doors slid open, and the trio stepped out into another crowd of people. This time, however, they were more condensed, as they had to stick to the walkways.

Jennsen had to resist the urge to lean out over one of the glass guardrails to stare at the people below. Instead, she followed Dan and Kevin like an excited puppy.

It was obvious that there were more places to eat up here--the wonderful smells were driving her insane. She didn't have the slightest idea what any of them were, but she wanted to try them all! 

"Dan," she said, giving in to the temptations, "maybe after we find ze gift, we can eat?"

"You got it!" Dan and Kevin said in unison. 

Jennsen grinned. As they walked towards the jewelers, she watched the people around her. A tired looking woman ushered two small children away from a toy store; a tall young man with spiked, pink hair leaned against a wall, a small white stick dangling from his lips; a group of girls stepped out of a clothes shop laden with bags, talking and laughing loudly. Their voices mixed with those of the people around them, becoming part of the undistinguishable buzz. 

Jennsen found that if she listened closely, she could make out snatches of conversation.

"So then I told Mary that if she didn't tell Jake that she had heard from Hannah…"

"Five bucks for a stupid hair brush? They're insane!" 

"Mommy, can we? Please please please! We'll be…"

"…two and a half hours! I'm starting to think The Guardian isn't here."

Jennsen froze. Did someone just say 'guardian?' No. They couldn't have been talking about her. She must have heard wrong. Jennsen tilted her head in the direction of the speaker, so as to hear better.

"I wonder if the General is having any luck?"

The voice grew louder; they were heading straight for the speaker. Up ahead, Jennsen could see them. Two large figures, clad in all black. They were looking from side to side as they walked, hunting for something.

"I hope we find that Amulet soon."

Her eyes widened in shock. They were hunting for her! 

"Dan!" she hissed, not wanting to be heard by the approaching men. Dan stopped and turned around, with Kevin following suit.

"What's up?" he asked. 

"We have to go," she answered, never taking her eyes of the two men. It was obvious from the fluent way the younger one moved that he was a Shiran. The other did not carry himself quite as boldly, but his gliding movements made it clear that he, too, was a fighter.

The twins had not noticed either of them, and could see no reason for leaving, as Kevin automatically pointed out.

"We have to buy Mom a present. Besides, I thought you wanted to grab a bite?"

"No time!" she said as loudly as she dared. "We have to get out of herre _now_, beforre--"

"There she is!"

The Shiran and his companion began running for the trio, knocking people out of their way.

"Come on!" Jennsen screamed. She turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could away from the men. After a moment's pause, the twins came bounding after her. They tore recklessly through the crowd, dodging around people. Jennsen glanced over her shoulder; the two men were gaining easily. She turned her head back to the front, and realized the ground ahead was disappearing. It took her a second to realize that it was a moving staircase. Unfortunately it was moving up, and she did not have time to turn around.

With only a few steps separating her from the men, she leapt onto the narrow railing of the stairs, sliding downward. Her arms stuck out on either side, keeping her balance. The ground neared with startling speed. When she was about to run out of railing, she jumped to the floor, casting a glance over her shoulder. What she saw made her heart skip a beat.

The two men did not bother with the stairs. Instead, they hopped lightly onto the glass guardrail that lined the walkway above. Then they jumped. It was a drop that would kill most men, but they simply hit the ground and rolled into a standing position facing her, ready to run again.

She scanned the crowd for Dan and Kevin; they were at the foot of the stairs, gaping at the two men.

"Hurry!" Jennsen screamed. They immediately began running towards the exit. It was difficult; there were far more people down here, as well as benches and large potted plants--all kinds of obstacles.

Suddenly Jennsen was tackled to the ground by a mammoth of a man. He held her down on her back, pinning her arms to her sides. His body lay across her own, immobilizing her. So she did the only thing she could do. Turning her head to the side, Jennsen sank her teeth into his arm. The taste of blood saturated her mouth. 

He pulled his arm away in surprise, freeing her hand. A millisecond later the heel of her palm connected squarely with his jaw. At the same time Kevin kicked the guy roughly in the ribs, effectively rolling him off of Jennsen.

Both she and the man were up and running in seconds, with the other two men practically on top of them. The doors were within reach now. Dan's hand shot out in front of him, crashing into the bar. It gave easily, and he practically fell outside. Kevin and Jennsen ran out next, and the three of them slammed the door in the man's face. 

The other two caught up with him, and as one they shoved against the door. Dan and Kevin could not hold it for long.

"Forrget the doorr! Rrun!"

Even as she spoke Jennsen was speeding towards the cars, trying to find The Jeep. It was nowhere in sight, and she realized that it was on the other side of the building. She ducked between rows of the metal beasts, staying as low as possible. Sounds of fighting could be heard behind her. She lifted her head above the top of one of the cars.

Dan and Kevin were about to get themselves killed by the men. Each one was armed with two knives, which they wielded expertly. The twins were already bleeding from several cuts, and they could not keep going for much longer.

"Damn it!" Jennsen muttered. She reached into the folds of her cloak and pulled out the jewel-encrusted disk. Holding it up she stepped into plain view.

"Is zis what you want?" she shouted. The men looked up, and saw the star gleaming in her hand. They forgot all about the twins, who practically collapsed onto the concrete, and advanced on her.

"Give up the Amulet, girlie!" The man who had tackled her said. "You're no match for us."

"And who exactly are you?" she asked as calmly as she could.

"General Nomed, leader of the Shiran. You don't have any more of a chance against us then your dear old parents did, so hand it over!"

Her parents. Jennsen's eyes widened with realization. This man had been there on the day of her family's massacre. His had been the hand that slit her mother's throat. Something akin to a growl escaped her lips.

"General Nomed of ze Shirran, I am Jennsen Turlock, Ze Guardian of ze Amulet of Life, last surrviving member of ze Orrder of ze Starr. You zink you can defeat me?" She spread her arms wide. "Come and trry!"

The three men rushed her, blades in hand. Jennsen shouted a spell in her native tongue.

"_Erres folem!_"

A wall of fire erupted in front of her, driving the soldiers back. Not the least bit put out, the General raised his arm and threw a knife at her. The blade scratched across her cheek and imbedded itself in the side panel of a car. 

Jennsen's concentration wavered, and the flames disappeared.

"_Kirvati!_" screamed the young Shiran as he charged her. Once again Jennsen countered with a spell.

"_Teal nay ushedum!_"

The man was suddenly suspended in midair, unable to move. Jennsen raised her hands upward. He immediately flew up into the air several stories.

"Back off orr I'll kill him!" she shouted. The General looked at the non-Shiran next to him.

"Should we do as she says?" he asked. The man shook his head. He pointed to the soldier in the air, dragging a finger across his neck. Then he shrugged his shoulder's in a "who cares?" gesture. The General laughed.

"My thoughts exactly."

He raised his arm to throw the second dagger. Before he could, both he and the silent man were tackled from behind by the twins. Jennsen lowered the soldier to within several feet of the ground, then let him drop; the impact knocked him out. She then grabbed the daggers from his hands ran up to the two attackers.

Each one was struggling against the twin that held them to the ground. The twins were sitting in identical positions. Each was on the back of a soldier. The twin's arm's wrapped around the soldiers,' and they pushed their hands against the guys' necks, pulling their backs up and backward. The struggling Shiran were hard pressed to escape, but Jennsen knew they were not incapable.

She gripped the daggers hard, and drove the handle of each one hard into the men's temples. They collapsed unconscious.

"Let's go before they wake up," she said, rising shakily to her feet. Kevin and Dan did the same. Blood stained their shirts from numerous cuts across their chests and arms. Both of them were panting.

"What the hell just happened?" Kevin demanded. 

"I'll explain back at ze house."

"You got that right," Dan said.

"Okay, spill," Kevin ordered. They were sitting in the living room of the their small apartment, wearing clean clothes and sporting all kinds of bandages.

"I am afrraid I have been lying to you," Jennsen began. Kevin snorted.

"Now there's a surprise."

Dan glared at him. "Let her talk, Kev."

Jennsen nodded.

"I'm not frrom Rrussia like I said. In fact, I'm not frrom any land eizer of you have everr hearrd of. I am frrom Ben-Tarri, a whole otherr dimension."

"A whole other what?" they asked together.

"Anozer dimension, or rrealm of existance," she explained. "My rrealm is verry different frrom zis one. Torrn by war for ze past thousand yearrs, ze once beautiful land is now scarred and barre. I live--_lived_--in an Abbey, in a place known as ze Wildlands. We gave aid to ze Rrebel forces that defended ourr land--gave out food, drressed wounds, that sorrt of thing. But the main purpose of ze Abbey and zose who dwelled zerr was to protect zis." She placed the Amulet onto the coffee table. The stones sparkled in the lamplight.

"What is it?" Kevin asked.

"Ze Amulet of Life. It contains morre power zen all ze sorcerers in ze world combined. If it ever falls into ze wrong hands, zen ze world could verry well come to an end."

"And who exactly are these 'wrong hands' belonging to?" Dan broke in.

"Emperor L'Kal, a verry powerful sorrcerer. He began his rrise to powerr some fifty yearrs ago, brringing many of ze warring nations under his command, and restorring peace between zem. But L'Kal is not a man of peace; he is a man of conquest. He began forrming an arrmy to attack ze nations zat refused to swear allegiance to him. Zese nations saw him forr what he rreally is: a tyrrant and a madman. Zey rrealized with ze might of his new arrmy, L'Kal could trample ze divided nations. So zey forrmed an alliance with one anozerr, and combined zerre separate lands into ze Wildlands. From zat point onwarrd zey werre at warr with L'Kal. He began using his magic to enhance his best soldierrs, a unit known as ze Shirran. Zey arre the most bloodthirrsty warriors zat ever lived. L'Kal sent zem to ze Abbey to rretreive ze Amulet. With it, he would become immorrtal, and his powers would rreach unspeakable levels. Devastation would follow."

"What happened when he sent his guys to your Abbey?" Dan asked softly. Jennsen closed her eyes as the memories played in her mind.

"Ze Brothers and sisterrs fought bravely, but eventually we were trraped in ze infirmarry--me, my parrents, ze Abbot, and a few ozers." Tears began filling her eyes. "Zey all started saying a spell to open a porrtal, to get me and ze Amulet away. My fazerr push me into it as ze Shirran brroke into ze rroom…I won't tell you what zey did to my parrents…"

"Jennsen, I'm so sorry," Kevin whispered. It was the first time he had shown anything other than anger since they had returned from the mall.

"It's okay," she assured him. "Zis is warr, afterr all. But ze porrtal took me herre. Somehow L'Kal found zat out, and sent those men afterr me."

"Those were Shiran, right?" Dan asked. Jennsen shook her head.

"Only two of zem. Ze one zat neverr spoke was not. I don't know what mannerr of soldierr he was. Anyhow, now you know my storry."

The twin's sat back in their chairs, letting the information sink in. Kevin spoke first.

"Stupid question," he said. "Why don't you use that Amulet thingy to, I don't know, blow L'Kal out of the sky?"

Jennsen shook her head. "I am a Guarrdian, I merrely protect ze Amulet. I cannot use it."

"Well why not?"

Jennsen turned over the Amulet, revealing a line of writing engraved on the back. She read it aloud. 

" '_Mirr toleski virr conden asierre_, _frrisha kask nurr, _' " she said.

"Come again?" Kevin asked.

" 'And a saviorr will come who can wield ze Starr, drriving Evil into ze shadows.' It's an excerpt frrom an ancient text. It means zat only ze saviorr can tap into ze Amulet's power wizout losing control of it…To bad zere not herre now…"

"Okay, so the Amulet's useless," Kevin said. "We still have a bunch of psycho soldiers out to kill us. What do we do about them?"

Dan scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I've got it!" he exclaimed suddenly. "We go to the people who deal with this stuff all the time: the X-Men."

A/N: Wow, 8 pages on Word, and over 3 thousand words. Go me! Very exciting chappy, with plenty of new information…hope things make more sense now. I had a hard time starting this chapter, thanx to me old pal writer's block, but I think it turned out OK…watching Alias right now…please hold…*sits in front of TV…watches mega-cool fight scene…starts shouting at screen* YEAH!!! SHOOT HER, SIDNEY, SHOOT HER!!!!…that's what I'm talkin' bout!…WTF??? _TOKYO_??? HOW THE F*** DID SHE GET THERE?!?!?!?!?!?!…wait, why'd it end? KEEP GOING, DARN YOU!!!!!! Grrrr….

…Sorry about that…season finale of Alias…premiere's two Sundays from now…I'm sure Rogue151 knows what I was babbling about, even if the rest of you don't. But trust me, it's a serious thriller. But enough of that, I have work to do. Sooo: 

Review answer time! Yippee Skippy!

Rogue77: Alright, a fellow Alias fan! Yay! And I have discovered one good thing about school: english teachers. They are the Holy Grail for writers.

Ishandahalf: she hasn't really fallen for him yet, but she has got a lot of conflicting emotions. First, she has been ordered to keep an eye on him. Second, he doesn't know about her power, which means that, for awhile at least, she can have a semi-normal relationship…not to mention the fact that he is so friggin HOT!!!!! And she was kinda surprised at the invitation, so her mouth kinda answered while her brain tried to comprehend what was happening…OK I'll stop babbling now…

Yumiko: *grins evilly* can do easy GI! 

CM02: Here's Ur update! I'd say more, but I'm short on words right now…

Caliente: I cannot answer your question…cuz I'm evil like that. = P

Krazy Xanadu: Kim Possible all the way! I'm trying to work some more songs into this…I mean, If I can make Rogue a CIA agent, then I can darn well make her a singer!

Panther Nesmith: Your wish is my command!

The Last Ronin: I hope you didn't get hit by to much stuff…although the part about the force suggests that you may need to see a doctor…Oh, and I reread this chap several times and caught a bunch of spelling errors…Aren'tcha proud of me? The KP part took me by surprise too…but I just kinda went with it…I like the results…I'm babbling, aren't I? OK I'm done.

Well, I've got nothing else to say, except the next update could take awhile, due to the big ol' hurricane that's headin my way…great…

At any rate, give me some title ideas and I will reward you with…with…A HERRING! (I have watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail WAAAAAY to many times!)

Ok, I'm outtie! 


	18. The Date

A/N: I'm back, despite Hurricane Isabel's best attempts to leave me without power. Things actually weren't that bad: we lost some trees, a few shingles, and school has to be re-opened…altogether not a bad few days! My neighbors lost this really _really REALLY_ big birch tree. ;_; Poor tree.

OK, I think it's time to start this chapter. Let the Romyness begin!

Rogue was nervous. She did a marvelous job of hiding it behind sarcastic remarks and a nonchalant expression, but that didn't change the fact that her stomach was twisting itself into a dozen knots. As she reclined on her bed pretending to read a novel, her eyes darted from the closed door to the small digital clock on her nightstand and back again. It was 6: 45. Gambit had said he would knock on her door at 7. 

She tried to focus on her book. Why was she so nervous anyway? It was just a little date--an opportunity to learn about him, as were O'Connell's orders.

__

That's the only reason I'm doing this, she thought. _I need to find out if he recognizes me or not. That's all. That's--_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at her door.

"Coming!" Rogue called. She placed her book on the nightstand and walked over to the door. On the way she caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror. Even at a glance the image was nothing short of stunning. She had decided to go semi-casual, as an Internet search for _Spice City_ had revealed that it wasn't exactly the tacky grease-pit the name suggested. Rather than her usual black, she wore a vibrant green blouse with long white gloves. Instead of torn jeans, she had on a long black skirt adorned with roses. And replacing her usual sneakers were a pair of black high-heels, which she had borrowed from Kitty (who had been amazed that Rogue owned such an outfit). The only downside to it all was that it didn't provide much protection from the cold, but Rogue figured that wouldn't be a problem in the heated restaurant.

Rogue pulled open the door to reveal Gambit, who had managed to combine bits and pieces from his ordinarily dull wardrobe into a strikingly handsome--and incredibly simple--outfit. As always he wore the tan trench coat, but for once it seemed to be showing off his clothes rather than hiding them. Beneath it he had on a red shirt with tan pants and black shoes. His hair was neatly combed above a pair of sunglasses that hid his eyes from view.

Despite the black shields over his eyes, Rogue could tell that he was looking her up and down. She leaned against the doorjamb, feigning boredom.

"Let me know when yer done starin,' okay?" she said. The saucy Cajun replied without missing a beat.

"Tell me chere, is dis Heaven? 'Cause I must be seein' an angel."

"Cut it out swamp rat," Rogue said, grinning. "We both know there is no way you could _ever_ end up in Heaven."

Gambit threw a hand over his heart in mock anguish.

"Y' wound Remy!"

"Ah'm gonna wound you even more if Ah don't get outta this house soon. Now are we goin' out or what?"

Gambit immediately stepped to the side, offering her his arm in a gentlemanly fashion. Rogue ignored him and walked unaided down the hall. Gambit merely shrugged and kept pace beside her. 

They walked quietly through the halls leading to the garage, trying not to attract too much attention. Thankfully everyone else was at dinner, so they went unnoticed by everyone except the Professor, who had just left his study and was on his way to the dining room when he saw them.

"Good evening!" He said, stopping a few feet in front of them. 

"Hi Professor," Rogue answered with slightly less enthusiasm. She couldn't help but think that he had planned on meeting them here. 

"I had almost forgotten that you two were going out to eat. By the way, which car are you taking?"

"De motorcycle," Gambit said at once. Xavier shook his head.

"Not in this weather you're not." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, which he tossed to Gambit. "Those are for the jaguar. Now where are you going to be?"

Rogue grinned as she realized what Xavier was up to. By asking Gambit all of these questions he was making sure that the Cajun knew the rules, and, more importantly, that nothing escaped the Professor's attention.

__

That's what he thinks, Rogue thought.

"De place is called _Spice City_. Anyt'ing else?" Gambit said in answer to Xavier's question. He was obviously eager to be going.

"Just one more. What time will you be back?"

Gambit grinned devilishly.

"Round noon tomorrow," he said. Xavier looked pointedly at Rogue.

"He doesn't know you very well, does he?"

Rogue nodded. "Yep, he's pretty clueless."

"Clueless?" Gambit said indignantly. "Jus' what do y' mean by dat, _mon cherie_?"

"Never mind," Rogue said, waving his question aside. "Um, Professor, we need t' get going." 

"Of course," Xavier said, wheeling out of their way. Oh, and Remy? Be home by eleven."

With that he disappeared down the hall. 

"C'mon," Gambit said. He took her hand and began leading her towards the garage. She started to pull away, but changed her mind. 

When they got to the garage Gambit lead her to the black jaguar, opening the door for her.

"Ah can't believe the Prof. is trustin' us with the jag," she said as he started the car.

"Well I do have that effect on people," Gambit said. 

"Shut up and drive."

He obeyed, and they were on their way to dinner.

Like its name suggested, _Spice City_ was a Cajun restaurant run by a chef who obviously believed that every dish required at least three kinds of pepper. Rogue could practically feel her taste buds catching on fire.

"Wow!" she said after drinking some water to quench the inferno. "That cleared mah sinesis."

"You like it?"

"Are you kidding? Ah haven't tasted food this good for months."

"How come?" Gambit asked, taking another bite of his dinner.

"Let me put it this way: Kitty does not belong anywhere _near_ a kitchen."

Gambit laughed. "Say, wasn't she cooking tonight?"

Rogue grinned. "Why d'ya think Ah agreed t' come here?"

"Dat's cold, chere. Dat's real cold"

"You'll get over it." She glanced at her watch; it was only 8:30. "Y' know, we've still got two hours till curfew. You wanna catch a movie?"

"Sure." He put down his fork. "I'm ready when you are."

"Then let's go."

They paid for the meal and went back out to the parking lot. 

"So what movie do you want to see?" Gambit asked once they were both in the car.

"How about _Finding Nemo_?"

He grimaced. "Isn't dat a kid's movie?"

"So? Ah think it'll be funny. You got a better idea, swamp rat?"

Gambit sighed. "Nemo it is."

Ten minutes later they were sitting in the theatre munching on popcorn as the previews rolled. The lights dimmed and the movie started. Rogue started when Gambit put his arm around her shoulders. She tensed, afraid that being so close to him could prove dangerous. But his touch had a calming effect on her, and soon she was enjoying the movie along with everyone else.

It was the most fun she had had in awhile. She was still laughing as they left the theatre, arguing over which scene was the funniest.

"De part where dey were speakin' whale was de best," Gambit said, doing his best impression of Dory. " 'Hoooowww aaaarrrrrre yoooooooooou?' "

Rogue laughed as they got into the car. "That was good…but not as good as Squishy." Then in a higher voice she said, " 'I shall call him Squishy, and he shall be mine. He shall be my Squishy!' "

They both laughed so hard that tears rolled down their cheeks. Rogue was bent practically double, clutching her sides.

"We have _got_ to do this again sometime," Rogue said. 

"Fine by me," Gambit said before looking at his watch. "Uh-oh."

"Don't tell me we're late," Rogue groaned. 

"No…but we will be if we don' get back in ten minutes, we will be."

"Then you better start driving."

Gambit complied instantly, and within minutes they were speeding down the road. They decided to take the scenic route, hoping that the lack of cars would let them move faster.

"About how much trouble're we gon' be in if we're late?" Gambit asked as they tore down a dark road with trees on either side.

"Well, " Rogue said, "Let me put it like this: Ah do _not_ want t' have a training session with Logan at dawn tomorrow."

"I see," Gambit said. He sped up slightly. "There's no way I'm getting up at dawn to--"

Suddenly the car hit a patch of ice. It slid across the road, spinning out of control. Gambit slammed the breaks, but to no avail. He fought with the wheel as the car skidded sideways. With a deafening crunch they were slammed against a tree. Then everything was still.

"You okay, chere?" Gambit asked quietly. 

"Ah think so," Rogue said. "You?"

"Not a scratch. Can't say de same for de car, though." 

He tried to start the car, and was only slightly surprised when the engine did nothing more than sputter at them. 

"Ah don't s'pose you've got a cell phone in one of those pocket's of yers?" Rogue asked. Gambit reached inside his coat and pulled out a small phone. Rogue wondered idly if he had stolen it or not. Taking the phone from him, she dialed the mansion's number. Storm answered the phone.

"Hello?"

There was so much static Rogue could barely make out her voice.

"Hey, it's Rogue. Listen, we need some help."

"Ro--is th--ou?"

"Yeah. Listen we had a little accident and we need somebody to pick us up, okay?"

"I ca--ear you."

"I said we need a ride!" Rogue shouted into the phone.

"Where--you?"

"Giles road. Okay?"

"Wha---ay?"

"Ah can't hear you!"

"Whe--"

Storm, speak up!"

The static was so loud that Rogue couldn't hear anything. She finally gave up and turned off the phone, tossing on the dash in disgust.

"Now what?" she snapped. Gambit put a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, chere. Dey'll find us."

"Yer probably right," Rogue said. 

The next few minutes passed in silence. Rogue suddenly became very aware of how cold it was. She wrapped her arms around herself, but it didn't help. The air, which was cold enough to cover the ground in snow, now seemed determined to freeze the very marrow of her bones. 

Gambit noticed her shivering. He took of his coat and offered it to her. She refused it.

"Ah'll be okay," she said. Gambit shook his head, still holding the coat out to her.

"Nonsense, chere. You're freezing."

"And if Ah take yer coat, _you'll_ freeze." Despite her protests, she was staring at the coat longingly.

"Alright, den let's just share it?"

"But that thing can't stretch across both seats," Rogue said. The Cajun grinned impishly.

"Den let's move to de back."

Even as he spoke he was climbing into the backseat. Rogue followed, albeit slowly.

"Ah can't believe Ah'm getting in the back seat wit a guy Ah barely know," she said, sitting next to him. He laid the coat over them like a blanket.

While it wasn't exactly a parka, the coat did provide some relief from the biting cold. As time wore on, however, Rogue found herself shivering more and more. She barely reacted when Gambit wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest. She leaned against him, feeling what little body heat he had left flow into her.

"This is nice," she said, looking up at him. 

Suddenly his lips pressed against hers. Rogue froze. She knew that she had to pull away, before her powers took hold and he wound up in a coma. But he tasted so _good_.

Then she felt the familiar pull of her powers, and was forced to break the kiss. 

"What…what just happened?" Gambit asked slowly.

"Mah pow'rs. Whenever Ah make skin to skin contact with anyone, Ah drain their life-force, an' absorb their mem'ries. With mutants, Ah take their pow'rs temporarily. But we weren't touchin' long enough fer any o' that t' happen."

"So dat's what de Professor meant when I made dat crack about spendin' de night with you."

Rogue nodded. "Well, that and the fact that Ah could drop-kick you at a moment's notice. Hey, what time is it?"

Gambit looked down at his watch.

"11:40."

"No wonder Ah'm so tired. Ah hope Storm gets here soon."

"If you're tired, why don't you take a nap? I'll wake you up when de cavalry arrives."

"OK," Rogue mumbled, already succumbing to the lull of sleep.

Darkness. Thick, impenetrable darkness. It surrounded Rogue like a black blanket, so thick she feared it might crush her. There was no trace of light. No digital clock, no street lamps, no moon, no stars…just darkness. 

She wandered blindly for what seemed like hours, but it was impossible to tell. Time did not pass the same in this black world. At some point she began to hear things. First it sounded like a soft wind, but she could not feel it. It became louder, and she realized they were voices; light, airy voices that seemed incongruous with the gloom surrounding her. Rogue tried to make out what they were saying, but they were speaking a different language. 

"_Ye tarres sum Asierre._"

"_Infonia sherr cotal kierr._"

Rogue followed the voices with much effort; they seemed to come from everywhere at once. Her eyes peered through the shadows, and at last she saw four white, misty forms standing--or were they floating?--before her. Their bodies were almost transparent. Rogue suddenly knew, with unyielding certainty, that they were ghosts.

They seemed to be having a conversation in their flowing tongue. Rogue stood listening for awhile; their speech fascinated her. At length they seemed to notice her, and one of the ghosts motioned that she should come closer. She obeyed willingly. For some reason she felt safe here, like she belonged.

One of the ghosts stepped forward, and spoke to her in his language.

"_Nirr sun de asierren um colt shah._"

Rogue shook her head.

"Ah'm sorry, but I don't understand."

"We arre ze saviorrs of ze past," he repeated. 

"Excuse me?"

"We arre zose whose names were forrtold of in prrophecy."

"What are you talking about?"

The ghost leaned in, as if he were disclosing a secret.

"_Tir sun de Asierre um colt leerr._ You arre ze Saviorr of ze prresent."

"Ah don't understand what yer talking about," Rogue said. The ghost stepped back into the circle with the other three. They conversed for a few minutes, and then all four came up to Rogue. The one who had spoken before stepped forward.

"You arre ze one whose birrth was forretold of in prrophecy, as ourr birrths were forretold of," he said. "You arre destined forr grreatness, as we were. Like us, you have been chosen."

"Chosen for what?"

"Chosen to lead yourr people out of ze darkness and into ze light. Ze time grows near when you must take up ze Starr, as we did, and make its powerr yourr own."

"What does _that_ mean?"

"You know ze answer."

"No," Rogue said impatiently, "Ah don't."

"Seek ze answerr not wizin yourr mind, but yourr hearrt."

"Would you quit it with the riddles?" she snapped.

"We must go now," the ghost said. Without another word the four of them disappeared into the darkness.

Then she woke.

A/N: Not the greatest chapter ever, but it'll do. How was the dream? I NEED INPUT!! 

Sorry this one took so freaking long. I've had a lot of homework lately. And if that excuse doesn't work for you, I have plenty others!

OK, I just want to say that _Finding Nemo_ is the BEST movie ever. It is hilarious, and if you haven't seen it already, I have 7 words for you: WHAT THE F**** ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! 

Now, on to those lovely reviews!

Pixie Flyer: Call off the mob, call off the mob! I updated, see! *hides behind chair* Anyhow, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Amanda14: You betta believe it! = )

Rogue77: A cookie? For me?? *does Home Simpson voice* Mmmm…cookies…And the new Alias season just started yesterday.

CM02: Who's the freakin liar? U R, U R! Umm…yeah…I'm television deprived. Does ANYTHING good come on Mondays?…I GOT CHOCOLATE!!!!! I'm OK really…

Rogue151: Sorry if I sounded mean in my review, but I thought you'd prefer consructive criticism over the usual "keep going." I do. I liked your story idea, I just though it could use some tweaking. About the end of chapter 18, this is after mutants have gone public. This follow the time-line to well, but here are some guidelines: Rogue never had a power crisis, Evan did not join the Morlocks, and Apocolypse is not even a thought. Aside from that, I think it's all the same. At the end of the Telling she DOES shoot Francie. Then she sort of passes out, and wakes up in Hong Kong. (I saw a sign that said Hong Kong on it, that's how I know it wasn't Tokyo.) Then she calls up the CIA and they send Vaughn. He tells her she's been missing for two years, presumed dead. She sees his ring, and it ends. The premiere was Sunday, in case you didn't see it. If you did, then let me just ask this: are you as confused as I am? Um, I think I'm done now.

Krazy Xanadu: What enthusiasm! 200? Really? Coolio!

Shadow of the Sword: I'm glad you understand; it's a complicated plot, I know. You should try writing it!

Yumiko: GI is short for Government Issue (soldier). My dad used to be in the army, so when you ask him a question he says "Can do easy, GI!" I've kinda adopted the phrase.

Shadow88: Your resources are probably referring to the movie, where Rogue says her name is Marie. In fact, in X2 there is a list of mutants, and it lists her as Marie D'Ancanto. However, in XME, as well as in every other form of X-Men that I am familiar with, Rogue has not said her real name. In some cases she uses Marie as an alias, but that's it. She has NEVER said her real name in XME. Now about the dancing: normally I'd agree with you, but Rogue is slightly OOC in this fic. Or, more specifically, she is more like the Rogue in the original cartoon, because being in the CIA has given her more confidence. (I like debating, in case you couldn't tell. Find some more glitches in this, I'm having fun defending myself. =P) I'm glad you like the fight scenes, and feel free to take Rogue out! I'll even give you a power dampener so you can give her a goodnight kiss. ^_^

All done! Yay! Now I can finally upload this! L8r my pizeeps! 


	19. The Mission

OK, I'm sorry about the delay. It's just been very hard to get motivated lately. But I'm back now! And I just read a kick-ass book, so I'm charged up and ready to write. So let's get this party started!

OK, one quick note: anything written {like this} is in a foreign language that I can't speak…which means pretty much all of them. Also, stuff written [like this] is heard through a com. link. Ya got all that? Good. 

Rogue wiped the car with her cloth, examining the spot carefully. Then, satisfied that it was clean, she began vigorously attacking the windshield. Gambit stood nearby, running a soapy sponge over the X-Van.

"Y' know what," Rogue said as she worked on a particularly tough spot, "someday Ah'm gonna find the guy who coined the phrase 'lazy Sunday afternoons' and Ah'm gonna snap his neck."

"Hey, at least we're not in de Danger Room, no?"

"Yeah, Ah guess yer right. It's a good thing the Prof. decided our punishment and not Logan, huh?"

"And we didn't have t' be up at dawn, either."

"But still, washing all the cars? Don't you think that's a little harsh?"

"We crashed de jag. Believe me, dis is lenient. Besides," he said, sidling up next to her, "I kinda like bein' in dis big garage, all alone, just you an' me. Maybe we could have a little fun?" He took a step closer. They were almost touching. "Maybe we could even do dis…" 

He leaned in, as though to kiss her. Rouge opened her mouth to protest, when Gambit whirled his arm around, tossing the dripping sponge at her.

"Catch, chere!"

The sponge hit her full in the face. 

"Alright, that's it!" She grabbed both her cloth and the sponge, dipping them into the bucket with the soap. Gambit saw her grab the sponge, and immediately took off, zigzagging between the cars.

"Ready or not, here Ah come!" Rouge called. She started creeping in the direction she had seen him go. There was a flash of movement behind Scott's car. She flung the sponge, which made direct contact with the Cajun's back.

"YES! She shoots, she scores!"

"Maybe, but now I have de sponge."

The next thing Rogue knew, Gambit was in front of her, flinging soapsuds. She responded by twisting the cloth into a whip, and lashing out at him.

"Oh, you wanna play rough? Den let's see how you like dis!"

He picked up the bucket, and advanced toward her.

"You wouldn't!"

"I would."

He lunged forward, tossing the contents of the bucket over her head. Rogue froze. She was now covered from head to tow in cold, soapy water. She pulled a few dripping strands of hair away from her face. Then, without saying a word, she marched out the big, open door. Gambit ran after her.

"I'm sorry, chere. You don't have t' be mad at Remy. Chere?"

She continued to ignore him, walking up to the side of the house. She suddenly paused, bending down to grab something.

It was the garden hose.

"Merde!"

Gambit didn't even have time to run before the water hit him full-force in the face. He threw up his arms defensively, falling back a pace. Rogue attacked him mercilessly, soaking every square inch of his body. 

"Truce?" she asked at length.

"Truce!" he sputtered. 

Satisfied, Rogue shut off the hose, tossing it on the ground.

"Come on, let's get this over with," she said, already walking back to the garage.

"Why you in such a hurry? You don' like bein' wit Remy?"

"Well you are a thief."

Rogue froze. How could she possibly be so _stupid_? 

"What makes you t'ink dat?" Gambit asked, giving her an appraising look.

"Ah checked out yer file." She watched him carefully. Was he buying it? Or had he already figured it out?

"An' why would you do somet'in' like dat?"

His expression never changed. If he believed her story, he didn't show it.

Rogue stared steadily back.

"Ah've gotten involved with the wrong people before. Ah didn't want t' make the same mistake again."

It wasn't really a lie. After her dealings with Mystique, Rogue had been very careful about who she got close to. Not to mention the fact that as a CIA agent she had to be very careful about the company she kept…of course, if Gambit discovered that she was in fact the woman from London, she might not be in the CIA much longer.

Gambit sighed.

"You gon' tell de Professor?"

Rogue couldn't believe her luck. He had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker. 

"Not unless you start causing trouble. So, are we gonna wash these cars or what?"

It had taken just under three hours to thoroughly wash every car, truck, van, and motorcycle at the mansion. By the time they were finished Rogue was exhausted, and she headed to her room to take a shower and then a nap.

She only had time for the first one, however, because when she came out of the bathroom her computer was flashing a "you have new mail" sign. She sighed and opened the letter.

It was an encrypted document from the CIA.

__

To: Special Agent Rogue

I have an assignment for you. Bring Wagner and Pryde, and tell Xavier that you're going to see a movie. You will be out past curfew, so you can just say that the movie ran late. I need you here ASAP.

~ Special Agent O'Connell

Rogue shut down the computer, then went searching for the two rookies. They were in Kurt's room, downing cookies and watching some hokey action film on UPN.

"Like, how stupid can you get?" Kitty asked, gesturing at the TV with a half-eaten cookie. "I mean, they're all just standin' there, listenin' to the guy talk! Why doesn't somebody shoot already?"

"And vat's vith everyone holding zere gun's sidevays? It doesn't vork!…Oh, hey Rogue!" he said as she stepped into the room. "Cookie?" 

Rogue looked down at the plate of cookies, then glanced at Kitty.

"Who made 'em?"

"Storm."

"Then sure."

She took one of the bigger ones. It was chocolate chip, and absolutely delicious.

"Mmmm…"

"So, like, is this a social call or a professional one?"

"Professional. We've got a mission."

Kurt and Kitty jumped up. 

"A mission? Really? Vhat are ve doing?"

"Is it, like, top-secret?"

"Ah don't know. But Ah do know that if we don't get down there in five minutes O'Connell is gonna rip me a new one."

"I can teleport us zhere," Kurt offered. "But vhat should ve tell ze Professor?"

"That we're goin' to the mall, then the movies."

"I'll go tell him!" Kitty said before bounding out of the room.

"Wow, my first mission! I vonder vhat it is?"

"Ah'm not sure, but it sounded important. Which makes me wonder why he wanted you two to come."

"Hey!"

"Nothin' personal. But you _are_ new to this, after all."

There was no more time for discussion, because Kitty was back.

"We can go, but he says that, and I quote, 'if Rogue's out past curfew again then not only will she be grounded for a month, but she will have five a.m. training sessions with Logan for as long as he deems necessary.'"

"As if my life isn't hard enough. Ah well, let's go."

She and Kitty both grasped Kurt's hands. There was a puff of smoke, a falling sensation, and then another puff of smoke. Rogue took a minute to get over the slight wave of nausea that had overcome her. When her stomach finally settled, she looked around. They were standing just outside the breifing room.

"Yer good," Rogue said. Kurt shrugged.

"I try."

Rogue pushed the door open and stepped inside. For once Smith, and Corprew were not there. Rogue, Kurt, and Kitty took their seats quickly, and O'Connell stood.

"Hello Agent Rogue. Wagner, Pryde, welcome."

Kurt and Kitty beamed at being addressed by someone as powerful as the division director. 

"Before we start," Rogue said, "Where are Smith and Corprew?"

"On another mission," O'Connell said simply. "Now, onto the reason you're here. We have just received Intel that a military base in Baghdad was raided by a terrorist cell. Several weapons were taken, but nothing the terrorists didn't already have."

"If there wasn't anythin' important taken, what's the problem?" Rogue asked. 

"Because something important was taken." 

As O'Connell spoke, a picture appeared on the screen behind him. It was some sort of blueprint, with writing all over it.

"These are the plans for a nuclear weapon with the capacity to wipe out millions. If they build this weapon, they'll make 9/11 look like a birthday party. Now, the leader of the cell is Muhammad Kalil. He is currently hiding in France, in the _Louvre _hotel. (A/N: I have no idea what that word means, I just know it's French!) Your mission is to get into his hotel room and retrieve the plans."

"Alright!" Kitty exclaimed. "Our first mission! Like, how cool is this!" She gave Kurt a high-five.

"Actually," O'Connell began, "you aren't going to be doing anything."

Their faces fell.

"Vhat?"

"You two will be with the surveillance team. I want you to watch Agent Rogue, so that you can see what real missions are like."

"This is, like, totally unfair!" Kitty crossed her arms, huffing in disgust. 

"Yeah, vhy can't ve help? It's not like ve don't know how to fight--ve're X-Men for crying out loud!" 

O'Connell snorted. "There's more to being an agent then fighting, you know. It requires intelligence, as well. You have to be able to think quickly, and under great stress. The two of you aren't ready for that."

"He's right," Rogue said. "Being an agent isn't like being an X-Man. Ah can't explain why, really. You just have t' see it."

"Which is what you'll be doing tonight," O'Connell added. "We leave in one hour. Dismissed."

" I still say this is totally unfair."

They were sitting in the plane, about halfway to France. The first twenty minutes had consisted of Kurt and Kitty marveling at the fact that they were in a CIA plane, going on a top-secret CIA mission. For awhile Rogue thought they had gotten over being confined to the surveillance van. Apparently she was wrong.

"It's stupid! Ve can handle missions! Ve're doing great in our training!"

"I know! And hey, he, like, needs someone to sneak into that guy's room? I'm perfect for that! I can walk through walls!"

"Exactly! Besides, if ve aren't part of ze mission, zen vhy are ve here?"

"Yer here," Rogue jumped in, "because this'll be a good learning opportunity. Now can y'all please quit gripin'? Ah've got enough problems without you two addin' a headache to the list!"

"Like vhat you'll do if ve get home late?"

She nodded.

"Don't vorry, ve got you're back!"

"Thanks. Well we're about to land, so I better go get changed."

The _Louvre_ was a very classy hotel. It was the type of place where the incredibly wealthy went for vacations or business trips. As such, it was also very well protected.

Security guards were everywhere: the front entrance, the lobby, the hallways. And as if that weren't enough, any area not monitored by a guard was protected by the watchful eyes of at least three security cameras. It was like walking into Fort Knox. 

Rogue walked boldly across the lobby floor, pretending to ignore the high security. In reality she was counting the number of guards and cameras, and memorizing the locations of each one. She stepped up to the front desk, where a man sat looking over what appeared to be an organizer.

{Hello,} Rogue said with an impeccable French accent, {I made reservations several hours ago.}

{Your name, please?}

{Katja DeChagny.} 

The man turned to his computer, and began scrolling through the list of names.

{Ah, yes, here we are. Katja DeChagny, room 217. Here's your key.} He handed her a small keycard. {Your luggage will be brought up shortly.}

{Thank you.}

{By the way, will you be attending the play tonight?}

{What play?}

{Every month the local theater performs a different play here at the hotel. Tonight is _Les Misèrable_.}

O'Connell's voice came in loud and clear through the com. link. 

[Say yes.]

{I think I will attend,} she said without waiting for an explanation.

{Very well.}

{Thank you.}

She turned away from the desk, and headed towards the elevator.

-------

Kitty and Kurt watched the small surveillance screen, fascinated.

"I totally didn't know Rogue was fluent in French!"

"Zis is so cool! She doesn't even look like a teenager anymore! She looks like an adult."

"Yeah. Like, a rich adult."

"I'm glad you're enjoying the show," O' Connell said. They nodded.

"But, like, why did you have her agree to go to that play?" Kitty asked.

"Because if she's caught in an area she's not supposed to be in, she can say she was looking for the play."

"Oh."

"Now, be quiet and watch."

--------

"What floor?" Rogue asked quietly as the elevator doors closed behind her.

[Give me just two seconds…OK, Kalil's room is on the fourth floor. It says here that he's currently at a business meeting.]

"Perfect."

Rogue punched the four, then waited patiently for the elevator to get there.

"So how are Kitty and Kurt?"

[Impressed, I'd say.]

"Already?" The elevator came to a halt, cutting the conversation short. 

She stepped into the hall, pretending to ignore the guard stationed just outside the elevator doors.

[I'm tapping into the video feed now.] 

The guard stepped in front of her, holding out a hand.

{May I see you're key, Miss?} he asked. Rogue obliged instantly.

{Of course.}

He glanced at the card, then shook his head.

{I'm afraid you're on the wrong floor.}

{I am?}

The man nodded.

[The video loop is in place.]

Rogue smiled at the guard.

Then she placed a bare finger on his cheek. He looked confused for a moment, then his eyes rolled back into his head. He collapsed on the floor.

Rogue bent down over him, searching his pockets. After a few seconds she found what she wanted: a master key.

[Nicely done. Now, Kalil's room is 416.]

Rogue wasted no time in getting there. She paused at the door, listening for sounds of people inside. There weren't any. She slid the master key into the lock, and pushed the door open.

Kalil's room was very elegant. It reminded Rogue of Xavier's office. There was a large desk in one corner, with a high-backed chair. A leather couch sat against one wall, facing a TV. 

[The plans will be on a disk.]

Rogue walked through the living room, to the bedroom in the back. It consisted of a single, queen sized bed, a dresser with another TV atop it, a small bed table, and a tall cabinet. Rogue tried to pull open the cabinet doors, but they were locked. She held up her wrist. A small, silver watch rested there. Rogue pulled a small pin out from the links of the chain, and used it to pick the lock.

--------

"Oh yeah!" Kitty shouted. "Spy gear!"

"Go Rogue!" Kurt added. 

O'Connell just ignored them.

--------

The doors swung open, revealing a small, black safe. Rogue studied the lock momentarily, then stepped over to the bed table, where there was a phone. It was one of the old cord phones, so she had to drag the hook with it. She took it to the safe. Then she unscrewed the plastic covering the mouthpiece, pulling out the mechanism inside. She placed it against the safe, listening with the other end. 

She turned the dial slowly, until she heard a click. Then she turned it two more times, and the safe opened. 

It was empty.

Rogue felt the inside of the safe, checking for a false bottom, or a hidden compartment. Nothing. 

"Shit! He must've taken it with him!"

[Maybe not. Look around--it may be hidden somewhere else.]

Rogue ran over to the dresser, rummaging through the drawers. No luck. 

"I don't think it's here."

[You've got bigger problems. Kalil's meeting just ended, and he's on his way up.]

Rogue doubled her efforts, checking the desk as quickly as she could. Her search proved futile.

[Kalil just got into the elevator.]

Rogue stood up, looking for any reasonable hiding space. Her eyes fell on the laptop sitting on the desk. 

"Bingo."

She hit the power button.

[He's at the second floor.]

The computer began booting up.

[Third floor.]

--------

Kitty sat biting her nails. "Hurry up, Rogue." Kurt's tails was twitching like he was being electrocuted. Even O'Connell looked nervous.

"She's going to make it, right?" Kurt asked.

"Fourth floor," O'Connell said, ignoring the question. "Rogue, you have about fifteen seconds to get out of there."

[The computer's booted up. Ah've got the disk. Just give me two seconds and Ah'll delete anything he managed t' download.]

"You don't _have_ two seconds!"

--------

Rogue grabbed the disk while the computer deleted everything it had downloaded.

The door swung open.

"What the hell?"

Rogue spun around. Kalil stood in the doorway, a briefcase in one hand. He saw the disk in her hand, and immediately pulled a gun out from his belt, training it on her.

"Drop it," he ordered.

{I don't understand!} Rogue shouted in panicked Russian.

{Drop the disk!} 

Rogue bent down, as though to place the disk on the ground. With a sudden jerk she through it across the room. Kalil turned to watch it. Rogue jumped up, kicking the gun out of his hand. She tried to punch him but he grabbed her arm, slamming her face first into a wall. Rogue drove her elbow into his chest, eliciting a gasp of pain. 

Kalil backed up slightly, releasing Rogue. She spun around, driving her heel into his jaw. He fell back, hitting his head on the desk. His body slumped to the ground, unconscious.

[Security's heard the fight. They're on their way.]

Rogue snatched up the disk and ran out of the room. She glanced down the hall; three guards were running towards her.

{Stop!} yelled one.

Rogue took off in the other direction.

"Where's the nearest exist?"

[Just a second. OK, take this right, there's a stairwell at the end of the hall.]

Rogue turned the corner, glancing over her shoulder at the guards. They were gaining. She sped up. A door opened a little ways in front of her, and two guards stepped out.

{Freeze!}

Rogue didn't slow down as she approached them, using her momentum to deliver a powerful punch to the first guard. He staggered back, covering his eye. The second guard backhanded her jaw, splitting her lip and knocking a few teeth loose. Guard number one stepped around behind her, grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back.

She stomped his foot, and he released her involuntarily. The sounds of her pursuers drifted down the hall. Rogue smashed her fist into his face, stunning him. She then winded the guard in front of her with a quick punch to his solar plexus, and took off before the other guard could get regain his senses.

--------

"Alright!" Kurt shouted, jumping into the air.

"Go Rogue!" Kitty threw her fists into the air, 

She made it to the stairwell, and practically flew down it, taking the stairs two at a time. The guards were close on her heels. 

"Where's the play at?"

[Ground floor, first hall on your left, three doors down, and please don't make a joke about that also being a band.]

"Wasn't gonna." 

Rogue made it to the bottom of the stairs, and slipped out the door. She stepped out into an empty hall. The door opened behind her, and four guards ran out.

"Oh great, they're multiplyin'!"

She tore down the hall, turning sharply to the left, then skidded to a halt in front of door number three, and stepped inside.

The room was set up like a theatre, with rows of chairs facing a small stage. Apparently the play hadn't started yet. Rogue made her way through the rows of chairs, taking a seat near the middle of the crowd. She watched the guards come in, looking around for her. They scrutinized the crowd for a few minutes, before giving up.

[Good work.]

A/N: 12 pages! I am da masta!

Once again, sorry for the slowness. This chapter was really hard to get started, but I think it turned out well. 

By the way, that whole using the phone to crack the safe thing? I stole it from Alias. Ssssh! It's a secret!! Oh, and speaking of Alias, let me just say this: Vaughn's new wife is EVIL!!!!! OK, I'm done. ^_^

REVIEW TIME!!!!!

Krazy Xanadu: I haven't seen Pirates of the Caribbean, but I really want to. I'm glad you liked the last chapter! How was this one?

Yumiko: Sorry I took so long. Won't happen again…I hope…

HJOJ Person: You read my Sonic story! You are automatically my friend!! ^_^

MAD: Good questions. But I'm afraid the answers are top-secret G-14 classified at the moment. ^_- As for Rogue's OOCness, expect more of that. Why? Because I'm the author, and I said so. 

Rogue77: I hope Vaughn's planning a divorce. If not, I may hafta kill his wife. Kidding! Or am I? Yup, I am! The dream was fun! I like dreams! I am hyper, can you tell? *runs around the room* WHEEEEE! 

CM02: I updated. See, told ya I would!

Rogue 151: School evil. Internet good. Alias great! Why the two word sentences? You tell me! I cannot believe there's no Alias this week! They're totally leaving us hanging!…woah. Kitty moment.

The Last Ronin: Man, I know what you mean about those psych wards. It's really hard to move with those jackets, y' know? Oh, and DON'T HURT THE CAJUN!!!!!!! If you do, I'll have to lose MY foot up your--CM02: Shut yo' mouth!!! Me: Sorry! Umm, anyway, as you can see I updated. Took me long enough. By the way, read Shameless Spies. Chapters four and five are up, and they kick arse!

Ishandahalf: Yayness!

OK, reviews over. Thanks to everybody who left one!

Now, before I go I'd like to ask all you Sonic the Hedgehog fans out there to read my fic, Shameless Spies. You won't regret it!

CM02: Yes they will!

Me: Only a little! ^_^

Well, until next time, this is TT-X, signing off! 


	20. The Mind Part 1

OK folks, here's the deal: I was about halfway through this chapter--half friggin' way!--when I accidentally deleted it.  ;__; Not good…quite the opposite, in fact.  Thankfully it's Christmas break, so I have two weeks to write. 

OK, for this chapter only (unless I say otherwise later), stuff written [like this] is a scene from a movie.  Kay? 

I hope this is as good as the original was.  Here goes…

Rogue's debriefing was short, taking barely fifteen minutes.  It was then decided that Kitty and Kurt should each be debriefed separately, to determine what they had learned.  Since this was likely to take quite a bit of time, Rogue decided to go see Dr. Walker about her hypnosis session.

The Doctor was sitting at her desk, apparently doing paperwork.  She stopped when Rogue came in.

"Hello, Rogue.  Once again, you seem to have arrived several days ahead of schedule."

"Sorry."

Dr. Walker waved her apology away.  "Don't be.  If it weren't for you, I'd go mad with boredom.  So, I take it you're here about the hypnosis?"

Rogue nodded.

"Excellent.  We will begin straightaway.  Lie down on the couch, please."

Rogue obeyed as Dr. Walker moved to the chair across from the couch, taking a notepad and pen with her.

"Now, I am going to put you into a trance.  I want you to close your eyes.  Take a deep breath.  Hold it.  And release slowly.  Deep breath.  Hold it.  Release.  I want you to focus entirely on your breathing.  Deep breath, hold, release.  Don't break the pattern.  Deep, hold, release.  Deep, hold, release.  I want you to feel the rhythm.  Let it flow through you.  Deep breath, hold, release.  Now I am going to count backwards from ten.  When I get to zero, you will be asleep, but you will still be able to hear me and respond to everything I say.  Ten…nine…eight…seven…"

Rogue's mind was becoming foggy.  She seemed very weary all of a sudden.  Each breath brought her closer to unconsciousness.

"Four…three…two…one…zero."

_Rogue was in the Darkness.  It swirled around her like a black wind.  A tiny surge of fear coursed through her, fear of being in such total nothingness.  She pushed it away quickly.  Rogue strained her ears, hoping to hear the voices of the ghosts she had seen before.  A different voice came to her, instead._

_"Rogue?"_

_"Yes, Doctor?"_

_"Tell me where you are."_

_"Ah'm not really anywhere.  There's nothin' here.  Literally."_

_"Can you see anything?"_

_"No.  It's just black."_

_The Doctor was silent for a few moments._

_"OK, you're going to have to find a path of some sort, to lead you deeper into your subconscious."_

_"How'm Ah supposed t' do that if Ah can't see?"_

_"Close your eyes, and imagine the path showing itself to you.  Remember, that's _your_ mind, you're__ the one who controls it."_

_Rogue closed her eyes, and imagined a path appearing in front of her.  She opened them again--nothing._

_"It didn't work."_

_"Try harder.  Don't just picture it happening, _will_ it to happen.  Command__ it to happen.  It's your mind.  Take charge."_

_Rogue closed her eyes again.  She thought about the path appearing at her command.  She spread her arms wide, holding her hands palm-up._

_"This is my realm!" she shouted.  "My mind!  I demand entrance!  Show me the path that will take me where I wish to go!  Show it to me, for I am the master of this place!  I am the Rogue!  I am the Ausire!"  _

_With the last word she felt a surge of energy thunder through her.  It coursed like fire through her veins, touching every part of her body.  It was a rush the likes of which no drug could ever induce.  It was power._

_And it was gone._

_Rogue eased open her eyes, slightly off-balance from the shock.  To her surprise, the Darkness had parted slightly, revealing a dirt road._

_"It worked," she whispered, amazed._

_"What made you decide to say all that?"_

_Rogue froze.  _

_"I have no idea.  Instinct, maybe?"_

_"Could be.  Say, what was that last word you used?  It didn't sound English."_

_"It's nothing," she lied.  "So, Ah'm guessin' you want me to start followin' this little road?"_

_"Unless you'd rather stand around talking.  I get paid either way, so the choice is entirely up to you."_

_Rogue rolled her eyes and began walking.      _        

----------

_"OK, Ah am over this whole Darkness thing."_

_Rogue had been walking for what felt like an hour, but who could really tell in such a place?  At first it had been interesting; walking down a path that seemed to have walls made of night on either side.  Then it had turned creepy when she discovered that if she put a hand into the "wall," it would appear to have vanished.  Now, however, it was just boring._

_"You'd think Ah'd have found _somethin'_ by now."_

_"Maybe its there, and you just can't see it," the Doctor suggested.  _

_"In which case Ah'm screwed."_

_"Not necessarily."_

_"Well if Ah can't see it, then for all we know Ah've already passed it, and this is just a wild goose chase."_

_"Just have a little patience.  You'll find what you're after."_

_Rogue highly doubted that, but didn't say so. Instead she resolved to just continue walking until the Doctor told her to stop or she went insane, whichever came first.  _

_As it turned out, neither happened.  Instead, she found a small, flickering light in the distance.  It danced and swayed like a candle in the wind, despite the fact that there was no wind to speak of._

_"Um, Doc?  Ah think Ah see something."_

_"I told you you'd find it," the Doctor said smugly.  "What is it?"_

_"A light.  Ah can't really see it yet; Ah'm too far away.  It's right by the path, though.  Hold on, Ah'm gonna get closer."_

_Rogue jogged up the path to where the light was, pausing about a foot away.  It was a dimly lit torch, sitting in an iron holder.  The flame wasn't orange like she'd expected; it was green.  _

_Looking around, Rogue noticed another torch on the opposite side of the road.  It was in an identical holder, but was unlit._

_"There's a torch here," she said.  "And it's got a green flame.  Looks kinda creepy.  There's another torch on the other side of the road, but it's not lit."_

_"A green flame?  That is strange."_

_"Well it _is_ mah favorite color."_

_"I though black was your favorite color."_

_"Tell no one," Rogue said jokingly.  "Ah'm gonna light this other torch.  Maybe then Ah'll actually be able to see somethin' in here."_

_She took the first torch out of its holder and brought it over to the second.  The moment the flame caught, there was a roaring sound, and the path was suddenly illuminated by green lights.  Dozens of torches on both sides of the path had caught fire simultaneously, with enough light to drive the Darkness back._

_Rogue wished they hadn't._

_"Oh, God," she whispered._

_The road was lined with cages.  They were stacked up three high, and ran down along the path for as far as she could see.  Inside the cages were thin, ghostly forms.  Scraggily, transparent arms reached through the bars, clawing at the air.  They wailed in agony, rage, and frustration.  _

_Rogue's eyes widened.  Inside the cages she could see the faces of every person she'd ever touched.  There was Logan, clawing at his bars half-heartedly, all hope gone from his sunken eyes.  And there was Scott, his face pressed against the bars, arm outstretched. _

_"Help us," he pleaded.  "Please, help us."_

_Rogue couldn't stand to look at him.  She spun around, and was met by another wall of cages.  The one nearest to her held a bone-thin Jean, who was looking at her with pure hatred._

_"Soul-stealer," Jean spat.  "Vampire!  Murder!"_

_"Ah'm sorry," Rogue whispered, tears beginning to sting her eyes._

_"For what?"  Rogue barely heard the Doctor's voice through all the screaming.  "Rogue, what's going on?"_

_"Ah can't do this.  Ah'm goin' back!"  Rogue turned on her heel and bolted away from the cages, covering her ears to block out their tortured cries._

_"Rogue, why are you quitting?  What's wrong?"_

_Rogue told the Doctor about the cages, and the horrid, blood-chilling screams._

_"You can't let them stop you," the Doctor said once she was done.  _

_"Ah'm not goin' back there."_

_"You have to."_

_"No, Ah don't.  Ah've lived with mah power for this long, Ah can keep living with it."_

_"If that's what you want to do, I won't stop you.  Huh."_

_"What?"_

_"Nothing, I just never though of you as being a coward."_

_"Ah know what you're trying to do, and it won't work.  You can't convince to go back through there."_

_"Why not?  What's so scary about it?"_

_Rogue shivered.  "Seeing all those poor people locked up…"_

_"But they aren't people."_

_"What?"_

_"They aren't people.  Unless I'm mistaken, your powers just absorb a _copy_ of the people you touch.  So the things in those cages are nothing more than copies.  Fakes.  Cheap knock-offs.  The real ones are still alive and well, am I right?"_

_"Yeah, but--"_

_"But nothing.  The things in those cages aren't real people."_

_"It still isn't right for them to be in cages like that."_

_"And why are they in cages?"_

_"So that they won't take over mah mind."_

_"Well then I don't think the cages are working.  I mean, if you won't even go past them to get to your switch, I'd say they have taken over.  And what's worse, they've taken your control hostage.  They're standing between you and the one thing that could set you free; the one thing that an insure that no more of those cages get filled.  And you're about to let them get away with that."_

_Rogue chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully.  Dr. Walker was right, they _were_ just copies.  Maybe if she kept her ears covered, and didn't look at them, she might be able to make it through…_

_"Okay," she conceded.  "Ah'll do it."_

_"That's the Rogue I know.  Just remember, there's nothing to be afraid of.  It's your mind, and you're in control."_

_Rogue nodded, although she knew Dr. Walker couldn't see it._

_Slowly she approached the cages.  When she was close enough to hear the screaming, she stopped._

_"Ah can do this," she whispered.  She took a deep breath, and started walking._

_The moment she entered their line of sight, the caged figures started calling to her._

_"Help us!"_

_"Soul-stealer!"_

_"Let us out!"_

_"Save us, please!"_

_"How could you do this to us?"_

_"Monster!"_

_"Don't leave us!"_

_She clamped her hands over her ears, and kept her eyes pinned to the floor._

_"They aren't real," she reminded herself. "They aren't real."_

_"Come back!"_

_"Vampire!"_

_"Help!"_

_Amid the chorus of screams Rogue heard one voice that made her heart break._

_"Schwester?  Help me, please!"_

_Rogue looked up to see Kurt reaching down to her from one of the top cages.  His hollow cheeks were tear-streaked.  Rogue choked back a sob and turned away from him._

_"Schwester, vhy are you leaving me?  Come back!  Schwester!"_

_"Ah'm sorry!" Rogue sobbed.  She broke into a run, desperate to get away from the despairing cries.  _

_As she went, she caught a glimpse of Gambit's wailing form out of the corner of her eye.  That glimpse triggered her memory of their date, bringing a scene from the movie to her mind._

[Dory, the royal blue tang fish, was floating next to Marlin, a very sad-looking clown fish.

"It's gone," Marlin said.  "The mask is gone."

"What, did you drop it?" Dory asked.

"No, you dropped it!"

"Oops."

"Now I'm never gonna find my son."  Marlin looked to be on the verge of tears.

"Hey Mr. Grumpy Gills.  When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do?"

"I don't want to know what you gotta do."

Dory ignored him and began to sing.

"Just keep swimming!  Just keep swimming!  Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!  What do we do?  We swim, swim, swim!"]

_Rogue couldn't help grinning.  "Just keep swimming," she whispered.  "Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming."  She repeated the phrase continually, using it as a block to distract her from the screams._

_After awhile Rogue began to notice that the screams had grown fainter.  She looked around; she was past the cages!_

_"Ah'm through," she said half to herself._

_"Great!  I knew you'd make it."_

_Rogue slowed her pace to a jog, and continued along the road._

----------

_There was no telling how much time Rogue spent in the Darkness.  It could have been fifteen minutes, or it could have been three hours.  She just didn't know._

_The green torches continued to light her path, for which she was thankful.  She continually scanned the road up ahead for signs of…well, anything.  Eventually she began to see a building of some sort off in the distance._

_Rogue broke into a sprint.  As she approached the building, she saw that it was made of large stones.  The stones were cracked, with moss and vines growing over them._

_The road she was on led right to the front door of the building, leaving no doubt as to weather or not this was her destination.  It was several stories high, and was topped by a pitched roof decorated with stone gargoyles.  _

_When Rogue was practically at the front door she stopped to get a better look at the building.  There was a massive stone awning over the door.  It was supported by two pillars on either side of Rogue.  Each pillar was so big around that Rogue could not have reached all the way around them if she'd tried.  Wrapped around the pillars were carved stone dragons.  They glared down at her from the tops of the pillars, guarding the entrance.  Next to one of the stone a small gong sat on the floor.  Like everything else there, it appeared to be on its last legs.  _

_The door itself was about seven feet tall, made of rotting wood.  The knob and hinges were all made of iron.  Rogue took hold of the doorknob and pulled on it.  _

_Nothing.  The door was stuck._

_"Oh, come on!  Would it kill ya t' open?"_

_"I take it you've found something."_

_"Yeah, a thousand year old building with a door that won't open, and two stone dragons that're givin' me the third degree."  She tugged again, using all her body weight.  It held fast._

_"Open, ya God dang piece o' wood!"_

_"Have you tried the doorbell?" Dr. Walker said jokingly._

_"Y' know, that ain't a bad idea."_

_Rogue went over to the gong.  It was decorated with a Chinese-style dragon in the center.  She looked around for a drumstick to hit it with, but it was nowhere to be seen.  There was a hook on the side of the gong's holder that was probably supposed to hold the drumstick, but it had disappeared._

_"Figures," Rogue muttered.  She got down to look around and behind the gong, thinking it might have fallen out and rolled away.  She searched around the pillar, but without avail.  Coming back to the gong, she noticed that the dragon on the front was clutching something in its teeth.  It was a drumstick.  Looking up, Rogue saw that the pillar's dragon had the drumstick in its mouth._

_"Well Ah am _not_ climbin' that thing!  Ah'll just hafta improvise."_

_Rogue stood up and kicked the gong, then jumped back as the door swung open._

_"Cool."_

_She peered into the doorway; the space beyond it was pitch black.  Rogue ran back to the road and grabbed a torch out of its holder, then went back to the door and stepped inside._

_The green light cast long shadows on the tile floor.  Cobwebs clung to the corners and to the small candles hung on the walls.  Rogue lit several of the candles to get more light in the room—several of them, however, refused to ignite.  _

_With the increased light, Rogue could see that there was a dried water fountain in the middle of the floor.  It was a statue of a man and a woman standing side by side.  The man was almost two feet taller than Rogue.  His muscular arms fell at his sides, with one hand clutching staff.  His face was full of unyielding determination.  He was staring at the space in front of him, daring the world to try and challenge him.  The woman was slender, high-chinned, and straight-backed, with her fists at her sides.  Although the stone was worn and cracked, she was still beautiful with hair that fell to her waist.  She wore an expression similar to the man's, an expression that clearly said "I am a free being, slave to no one, with a life to live as I see fit."_

_Rogue's eyes wandered to the base of the fountain, where the title was written as a single word: LIFE._

_"Wow."_

_She stepped past the fountain and into the corridor behind it.  The walls there were carved with pictures that Rogue couldn't make out through the cobwebs.  The corridor opened up into another room, this time without candles lining the walls.  She held her torch higher to help light the area more._

_The room was filled with stone pedestals that stood waist-high.  Each one held an object of some sort.  Some held miniature statues of dragons, while others held rings and necklaces.  Still others held big, dust-covered books that looked like they would crumble into dust if you touched them.  _

_"What is all of this?"_

_"All of what?"_

_Rogue realized that Dr. Walker didn't have a clue what was going on, and filled her in.  "Ah'm startin' to think this place is some kind o' temple.  There's tons o' neat stuff in here: jade necklaces, books that're thicker than the Bible, and hey!  A dagger!  Sweet!  Actually, this whole side of the room looks like it's devoted to weaponry."_

_She was right.  The pedestals on that side of the room held three-pronged daggers, knives with elaborate designs carved into the hilts, double-sided battle axes, curved scimitars, short swords, broad swords, rapiers, cutlasses—basically anything with a sharp edge._

_"Ah'm lovin' this place."_

_As she walked around admiring the weapons, she saw one that looked oddly familiar.  It was a very plain sword, with a long blade and crosstree hilt.  She couldn't quite place where she recognized it from.  Then it came to her._

_"It's Narsil."_

_"Come again?"_

_"The sword Narsil, it's here."_

_"Narsil?  What's that?"_

_"From _Lord of the Rings_?  The sword that was broken?"_

_"Sorry, never saw the movies."_

_Rogue scoffed.  "And you call yourself an American. Seriously, what kind of person doesn't know about _Lord of the Rings_?"_

_"Ok, you've made your point."_

_Rogue reluctantly left the weapons room, and began exploring the temple for signs of her switch.  At length she came to a large door guarded by twin sentinels of stone.  They were men-at-arms, dressed in full combat armor and standing at attention.  One held an axe, the other sword.  Rogue passed them and went to open the door when something caught her eye.  Carved into the stone next to the door was an inscription._

_"Ah've found a door that's got some kind of inscription written next to it."_

_"Well, what does it say?"_

_" 'Beyond this threshold lies Control, that timid and elusive creature.  Treat Her with care, and She will stand by you like a faithful dog.  Abuse Her, and She will desert you forever.'  What d' you suppose it means?"_

_"I think it's saying that if you try to use too much of your powers—like, say, absorbing as much of a person as you can—then you would lose control, with no way of getting it back."_

_"That would stink.  Alright, Ah'm goin' in."_

_Rogue pushed open the door and stepped inside, never once realizing that the inscription was written in a language never spoken by any civilization here on Earth…_

CLIFFHANGER!!!  Am I evil or what?  10 and ½ pages…go me!  Sorry it took so long, but life got in the way.  

OK, time for a little contest.  If you can figure out where I got the statue in the water fountain from, I'll give you…A GIANT BAG OF POPCORN!!!  YAAAAAAY!!

Well, I could waste more time talkin' to you, but then it would take longer for me to get this uploaded, and we don't want that!  So bye, and happy belated New Year!


	21. The Mind Part 2

Before I begin this chapter, I have something I need to say.  First, I want you all to know that _The Eye of Polyphemus_ is almost over, this being the second to last chapter.  Second, I want to let you know that Part II is going to be a long time in the making.  I doubt that any chapters will be posted before June.  Why?  Well, there are two reasons.  One is that I want to get it written at least three-quarters of the way before I start posting, so that I don't run into any kinks half-way through.  (You don't even want to know how many potential disasters I had to fix with this story!)  The other reason is that there are about two hundred short story ideas flitting around in my head that absolutely refuse to be ignored, and I'm afraid that if I don't start working on them posthaste, they will sick their Evil Vampire Plot Bunnies of Doom on me, and we don't want that.  ^_^  

In other news, there have been a total of zero correct guesses for my Statue Challenge.  So I have a few hints for you.  1) The statue is called _Life_.  2) My bio.  3) I have borrowed many themes from the same place.  

OK, no more freebees!  You're on your own now!  I'll post the answer at the end of next chapter.  

Now, on with the story!

_The room was empty.  Rogue didn't understand it; this was supposed to be the place that held the key to her control, but there was nothing there.  Maybe that was because her power couldn't be controlled.  No, that couldn't be it.  She pushed the thought out of her mind.  If that prep Jean could find a way to control her power, than so could she._

_"Well?" Dr. Walker asked._

_Rather than answer, Rogue surveyed the room more carefully, to see if maybe she had missed something.  All she could see was black: black floor tiles, black walls, black ceiling.  The green light from her torch glinted off something on the far wall.  She crossed the room and knelt down to peer at it._

_Carved into the wall, about waist high, were words written in gold._

_"Rogue?  You there?"  The Doctor's voice had an edge of worry to it._

_"Ah'm here.  The room's empty, but it's got writing on the wall."  _

_"What does it say?"_

_" 'The power of absorption is integrated with the soul of the bearer, and as such cannot be—' "_

_"Um, Rogue?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"You're not speaking English."_

_"Yes, Ah am."_

_"Now you are.  But you weren't just a minute ago."_

_"That's crazy."_

_"And yet, I have no clue what you said."_

_"Ah said, 'The power of absorption is—' "_

_"Again, I have no idea what you're saying, and I'm fluent in twice as many languages as you, if not more."_

_"Ah don't understand.  It sounded like English to me.  And the words look like English."_

_She brought the torch closer to the wall, studying the words.  Her finger traced the gold lines.  With a start, Rogue realized that the characters weren't normal letters.  She blinked, thinking it must have been a trick of the light.  When she looked again, the strange characters were still there._

She read them over in her mind, this time without translating to English.  It seemed familiar.  She read the first few words aloud, to see if she could recognize it.

"Se caren nur ferale…"  It was the language of the ghosts.  She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

_"Once again, not English," Dr. Walker said, obviously thinking Rogue had been talking to her._

_"Ah know.  Ah mean, this time Ah knew Ah wasn't speaking English.  Fer some reason Ah was translatin' the words in my mind automatically, even though Ah was sayin' them in…er…whatever language this is.  But now that Ah realize Ah was doin' it, maybe Ah can read it in English fer real this time."_

_"Wait, you have no idea what language this is, but you can read it?  How does that work?"_

_"You're the college graduate, you tell me."_

_"Now there's no need to get snippy. So what does this thing say?"_

_Rogue took a deep breath, and concentrated on keeping her words English._

_" 'The power of absorption is integrated with the soul of the bearer, and as such cannot be removed.'  English?"_

_"English," the Doctor confirmed._

_" 'Instead, the bearer must either learn to control the gift, or surrender to a life of solitude.  Control cannot be learned, as no one can teach it.  Rather, it must be discovered by the bearer of her own accord.  Only when she has learned to reign in her gift will she be free from its prison.'  That's all it says."_

_"Not much to go on, is it?  Are you sure there isn't any more, maybe on another wall?"_

_Rogue surveyed the small room.  "Nothing.  Ah don't think Ah'm going ta find anythin' else here, either."_

_"Alright.  I'm going to bring you out of the trance.  Close your eyes, and focus on your breathing again.  I'm going to count back from ten, and when I say zero, you will wake up."_

_Rogue closed her eyes and focused her breathing like she had when they first started.  She felt herself growing slightly more aware with every number the Doctor said._

_"Two…one…zero."_

Rogue opened her eyes; she was lying on the couch in Dr. Walker's office.  She sat up dejectedly.  "Well that was a giant waste of time."

"I'm sorry we couldn't find out more.  But from what you read, it sounded like there is a solution; it's just harder than we thought."

"Yeah, Ah know.  Ah'm gonna go see if I can catch Kurt and Kitty in the cafeteria."  She made a face.  "That's way too much alliteration."

Dr, Walker smiled.  "Goodbye, Rogue."

"Bye, Doc."

Rogue made her way through the maze of halls that was the CIA headquarters, eventually arriving at the cafeteria.  If she knew Kurt—and she was fairly sure she did—then he'd be at the nearest Taco Bell, stuffing is face with bean burritos and nachos.  She walked around the edge of the tables, heading for the Taco Bell.

The cafeteria was set up much like the food court at the mall.  There were dozens of small restaurants lining the walls, and then rows of tables set up in the middle.  Taco Bell was on the far side of the court.

And sitting at the closest table to the line were Kurt and Kitty.  Kurt had a tray piled high with every kind of taco in existence, as well as a huge bowl of nachos.  Kitty was watching him in disgust while daintily eating a salad.  Rogue sat down next to them.

"Oh, hey Rogue," Kitty said.

Kurt just waved, his mouth to full to allow for conversation.

"Like, where have you been?"

"Oh, here and there.  Ah had some things ta take care of."

Kurt swallowed.  "Vhat kind of things?"

"Things that you aren't authorized to know about."

"Phooey."

Rogue glanced down at her watch.  It was 11:45.  "Crap!"

"What?"

"We gotta get home.  Now."  

Kurt looked down at his food.  "But I'm not—"

"You can take it with you, ya moron." Rogue said, pulling both him and Kitty out of their seats.

"Like, what's the big hurry?"

Rogue showed her her watch.

"Oh."

"Kurt, would you mind?"

"My pleasure."  He put one hand on Rogue, and wrapped his tale around Kitty's wrist.  He used his other hand to hold onto his food tray.

BAMF!

There was a puff of foul-smelling smoke, and they were in Rogue and Kitty's dark room.  Thankfully the door was closed.

"I figured zis vould be ze safest place," he whispered.  Rogue nodded, then remembered that it was probably too dark for him to see.  

"Good call," she whispered.

"Ouch!"

Rogue turned toward Kitty's voice.  

"I'm okay," she said.  "I just totally kicked the dresser, is all.  I'm—ow!  Where is that stupid light…Oh here it is."

There was a faint click, and the lamp on Kitty's bed table came on.  The valley girl was standing next to it, rubbing her shin.  

"You okay?" Rogue asked.

"Yeah.  But remind me to install one of those glow-in-the-dark lightswitches."

"Do you zink ve're going to get in trouble?" Kurt asked.  Kitty shrugged.

"Probably.  Mr. Logan won't be happy that we broke curfew."

"Yeah, and Ah'm already in deep thanks tah the swamp rat's lack of driving skills.  Hey, not on my bed!"

Kurt grinned at her from the bed, where he was eating his food.  

"Off!  Now!"

"Um…Ich spreche keine Englisch?" ('I don't speak English.'  And for those of you who know German, please forgive my pitiful grammar ^_-)    

"Meinst du, dass ich bin dof?"  ('Do you think I'm dumb?'  Once again, please forgive all errors!)

"Ack!  Du sprechst Deutsch?" ('You speak German?')

"Ja." (I think you can guess that one on your own.)

Kitty looked at them, frowning.  "Would it kill you to use English?"

"Off the bed, Fuzzy.  Now."  Rogue gave him a low-powered glare.

"But it's comfortable…"

"Don't make me pull rank on you."

"All right, all right."  Kurt stood, and started walking to Kitty's bed.

"Like, don't even try it."

"Zen vere can I sit?"

They both pointed towards his room.

"Zat's no fun."

"'Night, Kurt."

"'Night."  He 'ported out of the room.  The girls quickly changed into their nightgowns and crawled into bed.

Rogue wasn't all that tired, however.  She was too busy being disappointed to be tired.  All that time in subconscious, listening to the screams of those she had absorbed, had been for naught.  Her power was still as uncontrollable as always.  It was beginning to look hopeless.

 Rather than lie awake for several hours, she decided to read.  She turned on the light and grabbed her book, _Wizard's First Rule_.  She flipped to the page she had marked, and began to read.

_Toffalar's knife came up, hitting her right arm, deflecting off the bone._

_Shock and pain ignited her rage.  Rage at her own stupidity.  She did not miss the opening a second time.  Her left hand came up and caught Toffalar by the throat.  She felt her grip shut off his air for an instant.  She needed only to touch him; grabbing him by the throat was a reflex of her rage, not her power.  _

_Though there were terrified screams and shouts coming from people all around, and the horrifying wails from the shadows Richard was destroying wholesale, her mind went suddenly quiet, calm.  There was no sound in her head.  Only silence.  The silence of what she was going to do._

_In the calm spark of an instant that to her twisted for an eternity, she saw the look of fear in Toffalar's eyes, the realization of his fate.  She saw in his eyes his railing against that end, felt his muscles beginning to tense, to fight her, his hands starting the ever so slow, hopeless journey to her grip at his throat._

_But he had no chance, not the slightest glimmer.  She was in control now.  Time was hers.  He was hers.  She felt no pity.  No remorse.  Only deadly calm._

_As she had done countless times before, in her calm, the Mother Confessor relaxed her restraint.  Released at last, her power slammed into Toffalar's body._

Rogue froze.  She reread the last few paragraphs a dozen times, to be sure that she had them right.  Her hands started to shake.

Restraint.  That was what the writing meant—restraint.  It wasn't about some mental switch that could turn her power on and off like a light.  There was no "off" for her power.  Her only option was to reign it in, to restrain it.  Not stop it.  Only hold it back.

She closed her eyes, focusing on her power.  She could feel it inside her, active, surging, waiting for the chance to attack.  Labourously she began tugging it inward, away from the surface.  It felt like trying to use a muscle she never knew she had.  Her power fought against her; it didn't want to be subdued.  She gritted her teeth, and pulled harder.

Her body ached.  She felt like she was in the middle of the hardest workout she'd ever had.  Her head was pounding from the mental exertion.  

Rogue gripped at her sheets; sweat dotted her forehead.  Her power writhed in her grasp.  It had never felt so real before.  It was like a separate entity living inside her.  It bucked and twisted, struggling to escape her.  She tightened her grip, and pulled with everything she had.

Her power made one last, mighty surge forward.  It lunged away, dragging her with it.  Searing pain swept through her.  She screamed in a mix of agony and rage.

This was her body, her mind.  She was in control, not her power.

She heaved with a strength that would have amazed her, had she been in a state to be amazed.  Ever so slowly, she dragged her power away from the surface, away from where it could do harm.  She took it back into herself, as far as she could go, and held it there.  It struggled against her.  This was not where it wanted to be.  Rogue tightened her grip.  This was where it would stay.

Slowly, her power stopped fighting.  She did not relax her grip.  

Rogue opened her eyes, blinking against the light.  The entire team was assembled around her bed, their faces lined with worry.  They must have heard her scream.  She looked around at them, still keeping her mental grip on her power.

"Rogue," Xavier began from his spot next to her bed, "are you all right."

She nodded.  Her fists clung to the sheets as tightly as her mind clung to her power.  She released the sheets.

"What happened?" Xavier asked.  

"Ah think Ah figured it out," Rogue said.  Her voice was strained with the effort of keeping her power under control. 

"Figured what out?"

"Control."

His eyes widened.

"Ah'm not sure, but…Ah think Ah've done it."

Wordlessly Logan stepped forward, holding out a bare hand.  Rogue reached out slowly, touching him with her bare skin, bracing for the rush of memories.

Her power twisted against her, albeit not as powerfully as before.  She kept it back.

After thirty seconds had passed without Logan feinting, Rogue knew that she had it right.  Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Ah can touch."

Without warning she threw her arms around Logan, hugging him feircely.  He returned it in kind.  

"It's a miracle," Kitty whispered.  

Rogue fought to keep from crying into Logan's shoulder.  When they finally separated both were grinning like mad.  Kurt slipped up next to her, gently touching her cheek with a finger.  When nothing happened, he gave her a one-armed hug.

"How is this possible?" Ororo asked.  "You worked with the Professor for months, and never came close to finding your mental switch.  How on earth did you manage it on your own?"

"Ah didn't."

Xavier lifted an eyebrow.  "Would you mind elaborating?"

Rogue laughed.  It felt good to laugh.  "Ah'll explain in the morning.  Fer now, Ah just want ta go ta sleep."

"All right," Xavier said, wheeling away from the bed.  "But you are going to tell us everything, first thing in the morning…including why you were late getting home."

"So you, like, noticed?" Kitty asked.  He nodded.  "We in trouble?"

"I'll decide in the morning.  Goodnight, ladies."

Everyone filed out of the room.  Gambit hung behind, shutting the door when the last person left.  He leaned his back against the door, staring at Rogue, a sly look on his face.

"Whattaya want, swamp rat?" she asked.  

He glanced pointedly at Kitty.

"What?  Hey, this is my room too, you know!"  He continued to stare at her until she finally gave up, throwing her arms in the air.  "Like, whatever.  I'm not tired anyway.  Geez."  She continued muttering as she left.  Gambit smiled, moving over to sit on the foot of Rogue's bed.  

"Well?" she asked.

"You can touch."  

"Yeah."

"So, de Gambit was wonderin'…"

 Her eyes narrowed.  "Wonderin' _what_, exactly?"

"De Gambit was wonderin' if maybe he could get a goodnight kiss?"

Rogue cocked her head thoughtfully.  "Ah don't know…what's he done to deserve a kiss?"

"Well, he did spend all day t'inkin' about you, chere."  He moved a little closer.  

"Is that so?"

He nodded solemnly.  "It 'bout drove him crazy, too.  Ev'ry time he closed his eyes, all he could see was your beautiful face."

Rogue blushed slightly.  Her breath caught when he reached out to stroke her cheek gently.  Her power twisted again, but she held it firmly.  Butterflies erupted in her stomach.  She held his hand to her face, savoring the feeling of skin-to-skin contact.  Her eyes closed, and a few tears leaked out.

"Oh, God," she whispered, "please don't let this be a dream."

"It's not a dream, chere."  He wiped her tears away with his thumb.  She opened her eyes to stare at him in wonder.

"Ah can touch."  She loved they way the words sounded.  She loved them even more now that she didn't have to add the word "wish" like before.  Kitty had been right; it _was_ a miracle.

She ran her fingers over Gambit's chin, feeling his stubble.  It was the most exhilarating feeling in the world, like being high on the most powerful drug in existence.  

"So, about dat kiss…"

Rogue grinned.  "Ah guess Ah could give—"

His lips pressed against hers suddenly.  She froze for a moment, half terrified that she would lose her grip and her power would surface again.  The way he held her, however, quickly made her fears dissolve, and she kissed him back.

She didn't want the kiss to end.  A part of her was still convinced that she had fallen asleep, and that this was all a dream.  If they stopped kissing, then she would eventually wake up and realize the truth.  

It had to end, though.  Gambit pulled away, looking slightly amazed, and a little disoriented.

"Wow," she breathed.  

"You know, dey say dat once you go Gambit, you never go back."

She laughed, turning to glance at the clock.  It was almost one.  "You should go.  Kitty probably wants to go back to sleep."

"And what do you want?"

"Ah can touch.  What else is there?" 

He smiled, wrapping his arms around her, holding her to him.  She laid her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.  Her own heart raced, and she practically wept with joy.  She could touch.  Never again would her life be dictated by her power.  Never again would it define who she was.  She was no longer a slave to her skin.  She was free.  

For the first time since she'd learned she was a mutant, Rogue was free.

She had no idea how long they sat on her bed in a silent embrace, marveling at the miracle that had just taken place.  In truth, she really didn't care.  They could stay this way for all eternity as far as she was concerned.     

Rogue's thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash downstairs, followed by people shouting.  Rogue recognized Logan's voice.  The others she had never heard before.

She and Gambit exchanged glances before hurrying out the door to see what was wrong.  Rogue skidded to a halt at the top of the stairs.  Below her she could see Logan standing with his claws extended and at the ready.  Kitty was standing a little ways behind him.  They were watching three people—a girl around Rogue's age, and to men who were obviously twins.  All three looked terrified.  One of the blond-haired guys had his hands out, and was obviously trying to talk Logan down.  Rogue rushed down the stairs, slowing as she came up behind Logan.  It would not do any good to surprise him while he was in this state.

"What's going on?" she asked.  

"Intruders," he growled.  There was a puff of smoke, and Kurt, Scott, and Jean appeared next to Kitty.  The men jumped, and the girl backed away a pace.

The one who had been trying to talk to Logan before turned to face Rogue, but kept a wary eye on the six-inch claws.

"We aren't here to cause trouble.  We just need to talk."

The elevator opened behind them, and Hank and Ororo walked out, followed by Xavier.  

"What is this all about?" Xavier asked calmly, as if having strangers appear in his living room in the middle of the night was a common occurance.

"You're the X-Men, right?" the man asked.  Xavier nodded.  

"And you are?"

"My name's Kevin.  This is my brother, Dan, and that's Jennsen.  We need your help."

Xavier nodded.  "Of course.  Please, take a seat," he said, gesturing to the couch.  By now the entire mansion had turned out to investigate.  He sent the younger kids away with a quick telepathic message.  They slowly turned and left, grumbling loudly.

Those that were left took various seats around the room.  Logan was the only one who refused to stand.  Rogue couldn't blame him.  It was rare for one person to get into the mansion undetected, but three people?  That was practically unheard of.

Xavier didn't seem to be the least bit bothered, however.  Rogue guessed that he had already done a quick a telepathic scan of the trio, and was satisfied that they meant no harm.

"My name is Professor Charles Xavier," he began once everyone was settled.  "I lead the X-Men."

One of the twins—Rogue wasn't sure which—began talking very rapidly.  "Professor, we need your help.  There are these huge men after us—well, actually they're after _her_, but now that they've seen us together they're probably after us too…"

His brother took up the thread of the argument.  "…And these guys are excellent fighters.  It's like nothing can hurt them.  We saw them jump from the second floor of the mall…"

"…And land on their feet like cats!  They'll do whatever it takes to get Jenn…"

"But we can't let them get her, I mean, she's our friend.  And her people need her to stop this evil emperor dude…"

"…Which she can't do if these guys kill her—"   

Xavier cut them off with a gesture.  Rogue's neck hurt from looking back and forth between them as they talked.  

"Calm down," said Xavier.  "There's no need to rush; you are perfectly safe here."

"No, we arren't," the girl, Jennsen, whispered.  Her accent reminded Rogue of the way the ghosts in her dream had talked.  "No place is safe from ze Shirran.  None."

"Well I don't know who these Shiran are, but I can assure you that no one will harm you while you are under my roof."

Jennsen did not look convinced.  She glanced at Logan.  He was leaving against the wall almost lazily, claws retracted.  Rogue knew it was an act; he was as alert now as he had been when she'd seen him preparing to fight the brothers.

"You may zink you arre safe, and zat your soldiers can withstand any threat.  I prray to ze Savior zat you are rright."

The Savior?  Rogue remembered the ghosts saying that she was a savior. Her skin prickled, and she could feel the fine hairs on her neck stand on end.

"Who are the Shiran?" Ororo asked.

Jennsen began telling them the story of her homeland, Ben-Tari, a world that existed in another dimension.  She told of a great tyrant coming to power.  "He united nearly all ze lands under his rrule.  His name is Emperor L'Kal."

Rogue fought to keep her surprise to herself.  The last line of the prophesy played through her mind.  _One day you will feast in the den of a beast, the dark one called L'Kal_.

She listened more intently to the story.  Apparently after L'Kal had begun expanding his empire, three small nations banded together in an attempt to stop him.  The resulting war wrought havoc on the world, and L'Kal was constantly gaining more power.

"Ze rresistance cannot stop him alone; it is too weak.  Zere is only one zing zat can stop him.  It's called ze Amulet of Life.  I'm its Guardian."  She reached into her robes, producing a small gold disk about the size of Rogue's palm.  A jewel-encrusted star glittered on it's front.  

"Vait, I'm confused," Kurt said, scratching his head with his tail.  "If you have the Amulet, vhy not use it?"

"Because I can't."  She turned the Amulet over, showing them the words written there.  "It says, 'And a Saviorr will come who can weild ze Starr, driving Evil into ze shadows.'  Only ze Saviorr has ze power to control ze Amulet.  I simply protect it until ze Saviorr comes to claim it."

"That's why you're here," Rogue said suddenly.  The words of the prophecy kept flashing through her mind.  "You're looking for the Saviorr."

"Yes."

Rogue took a deep breath.  She was about to violate about a dozen federal laws, but if she was right…She began to recite the prophecy.  

"_A traveler's path through the land of wrath_

_Can lead to a heart that's numb_

_Where children's tears are met with leers_

_Lies a land that's known to some_

_Where war is life, and a soldier's knife_

_Draws blood without a care_

_From a land apart with a hero's heart_

_Comes the one with the cloud-framed hair_

_The heart was torn, and the mind forlorn_

_When they came to take the Star_

_Hurled to her fate through a swirling gate_

_To this, a land afar_

_For you she came, though you have no name_

_This war shall be fought for all_

_One day you will feast in the den of a beast_

_The dark one called L'Kal_."

The room was silent.  Everyone stared at her, dumbfounded.  Jennsen finally broke the silence.

"Zat is a verry old prophecy, nearrly a thousand yearrs old.  How do you know it?"

"_Mir sun de Asierre_.  I am the Savior."

How's _that_ for an ending?!  You better like it; I redid it enough times.  *sigh*  Perfection is so hard to keep up with.  ^_-  

OK, a quick note about the story passage: that was an excerpt from a book I just finished reading.  That was where I got the idea for Rogue's control, so I figured that was where SHE should get the idea.  It's an awesome book…er, series, I should say.  _Wizard's First Rule_ is book one.  I highly recommend it.  = P  

OK, on to those lovely reviews that I forgot all about last time!  (Yeah, uh, sorry 'bout that!)  OH!  And before I forget, check out the very last quote on my bio, 'Joan's cheerleader burn.'  It rocks, majorly.

OK, NOW onto the reviews! 

Rogue77: Nope, never played Primal!  And don't feel too left out; there's only one person who's even come _close_ to figuring out the statue.  

blackDIAMONDdrop: Gandalf and Arwen?  Really?  Cool.  Wrong, but still very cool.  So, uh, did this chapter beat the last one, or am I going downhill?

Pixie Flyer:  No, sorry.  Good guess, though.

The Last Ronin: See, I updated!  And congrats on coming closer than anyone else to solving the mystery of the statue.  ^_^

Winter Fire: Yeah, the beginning DID suck a little, didn't it?  But in my defense the story _did_ start as a note written during science class, which left lots of room for improvement.  I'm happy you like it, and even happier that you're willing to give me an honest opinion.

Ishandahalf: I got a surprise for ya.  You ready?  OK, here it is: you're in the next chapter of _Shameless Spies_.  And FINING NEMO IS AWESOME!!!  RIGHTEOUS!!  RIGHTEOUS!!!  

Rogue151: Of COURSE I still watch Alias!!  What lame-O freak doesn't???  Well, OK, I did miss some of last episode, but a friend taped it and is gonna let me borrow it, so it's all good.  ^_^  Return of the King is very cool, btw.  Eowyn is my hero.  ^_-

OK, I THINK that's all of 'em…the reviews are kinda screwy, so if I missed any, I apologize.  

You may now go back to your dull, pathetic lives.  ^_-             


	22. The End

Okay people, here's the deal: I'm getting really, _really_ tired of doing all these accents.  So unless it will absolutely break your little hearts for me to stop, I ain't doin' 'em anymore!  Kay?  Good!  (Oh, and I made this decision about halfway through the chapter, so there will still be some accents up to that point.)  Now I may still add the occasional accented word or two if I think it's needed, but otherwise, they're done.  Oh, and I noticed that I sort of invented Jennsen's accent after I had introduced her, so technically hers shouldn't even exist!  Anyhoo, just thought I'd letcha know!

By the way, this chapter probably would've been up sooner, but The Last Ronin challenged me to make it 41+ pages, so blame him.  \(^_^)/ …Just don't kill him.  I'd like to see how his story ends. ^_- 

Pandemonium.  That was the only way to describe it—sheer pandemonium.  Arguments had sprung up all over the room, with everyone voicing their opinions as loudly as possible.  Yes they should help fight L'Kal, no it wasn't their business; it was their duty as X-Men, but they were needed here more; Rogue had a responsibility as Savior, except there wasn't any proof that Rogue _was _the Savior—it was never-ending.  

Rogue sat silently in her chair as she listened to all the people arguing over weather or not she was really some special hero.  It was getting a bit annoying to hear everyone talking about her as if she weren't there, but there wasn't much she could do about it.  So she listened, instead.

Jennsen was emphatically explaining that, as the Savior, Rogue had to help her people.  The twins were backing her up, saying that the X-Men had a duty to protect people from tyranny.  Xavier was trying to tell them that it wasn't as simple as that.  They couldn't just pack up and leave on a whim.  Logan brought up the issue of home defense—mainly, who would do their job if they went to help Jennsen?  

Evan and Kurt were both arguing in favor of going, probably because they wanted to boldly go where no mutants had gone before.  Rogue doubted that they were seriously thinking about what they were trying to accomplish.  

Hank and Kitty seemed to be somewhat neutral, with Hank wanting to find proof that Rogue was the Savior before doing anything else, and Kitty trying to get everyone else to stop arguing.  It was a futile attempt.  

Rogue sighed and leaned back in her chair.  They were down in the briefing room, seated around a long oval table with the Professor at its head.  Actually, she and the Professor were basically the only one's still sitting; everyone else was standing up and yelling.  Rogue yawned.  As she moved, light reflected off the Amulet sitting in the center of the table.  She drummed her fingers on the wood, glancing at her watch occasionally.  This had been going on for close to twenty minutes.

That was about fifteen minutes to many.

Rogue stood up, unconsciously slipping into her role as an Agent.  She cleared her throat loudly.  No one noticed.

"Excuse me," she said in a voice loud enough to be heard over the din.  Heads turned to glance at her.  She gave them a cold smile.  "Hi, remember me?  The person y'all've spent the last half-hour arguing over?  Well Ah'm getting' a bit bored, so how 'bout sittin' down so we can discuss this properly, hmm?"  The glare she gave all of them killed any ideas of protesting.  "Thank ya," she said once they had all returned grudgingly to their seats.  She remained standing.

"Here's the deal: Ah am the Savior.  You heard the Prophecy.  Ah fit all the requirements.  Ah understand Jennsen's language, even though Ah've never heard it before."

Hank shook his head.  "That is undoubtedly a highly remarkable feat, however is does not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are the one of whom the Prophecy spoke.  Coincidences do happen, albeit rarely."

"There's also the ghosts."

"The what?"

Rogue took a deep breath.  She had been forthcoming with everything else—her CIA history, her little excursion into her mind and the writing she'd found there, the hunt for the Eye, then the Keystone, her first encounter with Gambit (which had been met with a triumphant shout from the Cajun saying that he knew he was right), everything.  Except the ghosts.

"Gambit, remember when you crashed the Prof's car?"

He grinned impishly.  "How could I forget?"

"And remember when Ah, er, fell asleep?"

He nodded.  Logan growled.

"It was past midnight, all right?" she snapped.  "Anyhow, that night Ah had this really weird dream.  It was all black, and there were these people, these ghosts, there.  They were talking in another language," she pointed at Jennsen, "her language, and Ah couldn't understand 'em."

"Hold up," Scott broke in, "I thought you said you _could_ understand it?"

"Ah couldn't then.  Don't ask; Ah don't get it either.  The point is one of them said that Ah was the Savior—in English, mind you.  He told me that they were the ghost of Saviors past, and I was the Savior of the present."

Evan laughed.  "I think you've seen _A Christmas Carol_ to many times."

"Yeah, like, how do you know it wasn't just a dream?"

" 'Cause that was the first time Ah heard the words '_Tir sun de Ausierre um colt leer_'—you are the savior of the present."

"Well I am convinced," Jennsen said simply.  "So, _Ausierre_, what are you going to do?"

Rogue dropped down into her seat.  "Ah have no freakin' idea."

Gambit grinned.  "Dat's why you have us, no?"  He turned to Xavier.  "What you t'ink, Professor?"

The man pondered for a moment before replying.  "On the one hand, I believe that we have a duty to help Jennsen and her people.  But on the other hand, I'm not sure we are ready to go into a full-scale war.  There are only so many of us, after all."

"Not to mention the issue of home defense," Logan added.  "We can't all go; that would be to dangerous.  But if we only send a few people, then we'll have even less chance of making any impact."

"Vell vhat about ze New Mutants? Couldn't zey stay behind and handle thing here?"

"I doubt it, Elf.  We give them free reign of the mansion and it'll be up in flames by the end of the day, I guarantee it."

"Ja, I guess so."

"But we can't, like, abandon them just because of this," Kitty said.  "It would be totally unfair."

"Ah have no intention of abandonin' anyone."

Jennsen's face brightened.  "So you will help us?"

"Ah'll try."

"You have no idea what zis means to me.  What it will mean to my people.  Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet.  Ah still don't have a clue about what to do."

"I have an idea," Scott said.  "Let's go to sleep and talk about this in the morning."

There was a chorus of "agreed," and everyone started heading off to their rooms.

"Wait, what about us?" Dan asked.

Xavier waved Kurt over.  "Show them the spare bedrooms, please."

"Sure, Professor."  He led them out of the room.  Rogue stayed behind, waiting until she and Xavier were the only ones left.

"There something you want?" he asked.  

"Ah think Ah may be getting in over mah head."

"And what makes you say that?"

"You were here. You saw how Jennsen was looking at me.  She thinks that Ah'm gonna show up, say a few magic words, and suddenly everything will be right again.  But Ah can't do that.  Ah can't stop a war."

"You don't think you can make a difference."  It was not a question.

"Not like she wants.  Ah'm just one person."

He smiled knowingly.  "I'm just one person, too.  Look what I've done, I've founded the X-Men.  I've created a safe haven for mutants so that they won't be shunned by those around them.  I've helped made the world more tolerant towards mutants."

"That's different.  You didn't do all of it on yer own, we helped a lot."

"And there will be people helping you.  You will still have all of us to back you up, along with the people of Ben-Tari.  No one expects you to do this alone."

Rogue sighed.  As much sense as he was making, Xavier's words didn't help much.  She couldn't shake the feeling that she was setting everyone up for a huge disappointment.  

"Ah s'pose yer right. Ah'm probably just overreacting."  She laughed.  You know, you'd think that with everything Ah've had to do as an agent, this wouldn't be that big a deal."

"I'm still trying to get used to the idea of you, Kitty, and Kurt all walking around with guns and badges."

"We don't always carry guns."

"I suppose not."

"Sometimes we carry explosives."

He paused.  "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

She smiled.  That didn't seem to reassure him at all.  Small wonder, considering how rare it was for Rogue to wear any expression other than anger or boredom.

"Ah should get some sleep.  G'night, Professor."  She started for the door.

"Before you go, may ask you one small question?"

"You can ask, but that doesn't mean Ah'll answer."

"Fair enough."

"So what do you want to know?"

"Were you ever planning to tell us that you work for the CIA?"

Leave it to Xavier to ask the hard questions.  She had been expecting him to ask about how long she'd been an agent, or what kind of work she did.  She was ready to tell him about Project Marvel, her training, or give some vague explanation of her missions.  Rogue was prepared to explain her reasons for recruiting Kurt and Kitty instead of Logan or Jean or even the Professor himself.  Those were all fairly easy questions.  This one would be very difficult to answer.

Did she even know the answer?

Sure she had always thought about telling them the truth, but it always seemed like more of a fantasy than anything else.  The CIA didn't exactly encourage its employees to reveal themselves.  Blowing her cover had never been an issue.  

The Professor watched her, waiting.  She decided to tell him the truth.

"Ah don't know.  Eventually Ah might have, but Ah'm not sure."

"I understand.  Good night, Rogue."

" 'Night."  She opened the door and slipped out.

Rogue could here Kitty's snores even before she opened the door to their room.  The girl was sprawled over her bed, dead to the world.  Rogue would have liked nothing more than to fall onto her own bed and go to sleep, but she had work to do first.  She sat down at the desk, pulling open the laptop.  A yawn escaped her lips as she waited for the email to load.

_You have one new message_.

She had better things to do than read letters, but decided to take a quick look at it incase it was from O'Connell.  A glance at the subject bar proved that it was.

_Special Agent Rogue:_

_It has come to our attention that in the past hour you have engaged in several questionable activities.  Report to headquarters at once to explain yourself.  _

_~O'Connell_

Well at least he had saved her the trouble of writing the letter.  She knew they would find out what she had told everyone via the bugs planted all over the house (by her own hand, no less), but she hadn't expected it to be this soon.  That was her reason for wanting to write an email—to explain things.

Judging from the letter, however, it looked like they would settle for nothing less than a face-to-face discussion.  O'Connell might as well have said, "Get your sorry butt down here right freaking now or else."  

Rogue was in no mood to inquire about the "or else."  She took a few seconds to change into her jeans and a shirt, then scrawled a quick note saying that she had been called away on business and would be back soon.  Hopefully she would be home before anyone knew she was missing.  She propped the note op against the lamp, where Kitty would be sure to see it.

Rogue was about to go out her usual way, down the balcony, when she realized that she didn't need to sneak out for once.  She headed for the door instead.

The mansion was eerily quiet.  Everyone had gone off to bed awhile ago.  Moonlight poured through the windows, casting long shadows on the floor.  Rogue stepped softly, not wanting to wake anyone.  Just because _she_ wasn't going to get any rest this night didn't mean the others shouldn't be able to.

Rogue made her way across the living room slowly, not wanting to bump any furniture.  She was almost to the door when a voice stopped her.

"Going out?"

She turned to face Logan.  

"Ah have some things to take care of."

"What kind of things?"

"Ah'll explain later."  She started once more for the door.  He caught her arm.

"There a reason this can't wait until daylight?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

She shook her head.  "Sorry, but Ah can't.  Y' know, classified information an' all that government stuff."

He nodded.  "I understand.  But don't be gone too long if you can help it, okay?  You could use some sleep."

Rogue laughed, reaching up to brush a wisp of white hair out of her face.  Her bare fingers touched her forehead, making her smile.  The feel of skin, even her own, was amazing.  

"Logan, Ah once went on a string o' missions four nights in a row.  Ah didn't get more'n about six hours asleep that whole week."

He eyed her incredulously.  "And when did this happen?"

"About two weeks before Ah went ta Moscow."

Logan blanched visibly.  "You went _where_?"

"Ah really should get goin.  Bye, Logan."

She slipped out the door before he could say another word. 

*******

Rogue didn't waste any time getting to the briefing room.  Despite the late hour, Headquarters was buzzing with activity, as usual.  She wondered if the lights overhead ever got turned off.  Probably not.  As she pushed open the door of the briefing room, an even bigger question came to mind: how much trouble was she in?

A lot, apparently.

O'Connell was sitting at the head of the table.  To each side of him were four men and two women, whom she had never met.  Still, she knew exactly who they were: The Collective.

They ran Headquarters.

_This is bad_, Rogue thought.

She took the only available seat across from O'Connell.  

"Nice of you to join us.  Everyone, may I introduce Special Agent Rogue."  He named all of the others, but Rogue didn't pay much attention.  When he was done, one of the women began speaking.

"I take it you know why we are here?"

"Yes."

"Would you mind explaining, then, why you decided to reveal classified information to civilians?"

"Ah didn't have much choice.  The Prophecy from the Eye of Polyphemus is coming true."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Tonight a girl came to the mansion askin' the X-Men fer help.  She's from another world.  She came through a portal, a 'swirling gate.'  We've already decided that the Prophecy's about me, right?  Ah didn't see any reason not to tell them."

This time it was a man who spoke.  "None of this excuses you from revealing top-secret information without authorization.  You should have requested clearance."

"Would you have granted it?"  Rogue fought to keep her anger down.  It wouldn't do any good to make them mad at her.  Right now they seemed to be in a fairly reasonable mood.  She wanted them to stay that way.

"Weather or not we would have deemed the situation important enough to warrant divulging this information is not the issue.  The fact is that you acted without authorization."

"Ah know, but it's not that simple.  Those people showed up scared for their lives, Ah—"

"People?  A minute ago it was just a girl."

"The girl was the only one from the other world.  The other two are just normal people who got caught up in all of this."

"Which means," the other woman began, "we now have two potentially serious leaks."

"They're staying at the mansion, which ya'll are obviously monitoring very closely, so Ah doubt that they'll be a problem."

"And what about you?  We can't have agents who go around revealing information about this Agency without our consent."

Rogue sighed.  "It's not like Ah told them everything.  Ah only told them things that were relevant.  Ah explained about the Eye and the Prophecy, that's it.  Nothing else."

"Yet."  The woman turned to the man closest to Rogue.  "Agent Higgs, what is you opinion?"

Agent Higgs eyed Rogue in a way that reminded her of someone appraising a piece of meat.

"I would like to know why she thinks she is important enough to be part of the Prophecy."

O'Connell spoke up quickly, before Rogue could say anything.  "Actually, sir, having reviewed the Prophecy at length, I believe is in fact the person mentioned."

Agent Higgs glared at him.  "Is that so?  And you are basing this on what, exactly?"

"Well, sir, first off no one knows her name, like in the Prophecy, and she has the white streak in her hair, like a cloud, and now there's this business with the Jennsen girl."

"I see."  He turned his appraising gaze back to Rogue.  "So you think this warrants the braking of federal laws?"

"Well, Ah—"

"Yes or no, Agent Rogue?"

"Not by itself, no, but—"

"Then would you please explain to me why there are over half a dozen people who now know highly classified information?"

"Ah know it sounds bad, but ya see—"

"Do you think the rules don't apply to you?"

"Of course not.  Ah—"

"They why aren't you following them?

Rogue was getting fed up with him talking over her.  "It's more complicated than you think."

"Then please, enlighten us."

"Jennsen's people are at war."

This was obviously news to everyone.  The Collective exchanged glances.  

"They came ta get our help," Rogue explained.

"Define 'our.'"  This time it was the man next to O'Connell who spoke.

"The X-Men.  We agreed to help 'em, if we could."

"I hear a 'but' coming," the man said.

"Well, it turned out to be even more complicated.  See, Jennsen is supposed to guard this Amulet, until she finds the person it belongs to."

"So?"

"So we're pretty sure it belongs to me, which means Ah'm some sort of spiritual leader, or something.  Ah don't really know the details.  But Jennsen says that if I'm the one, then Ah can help stop the war.  Ah decided that was a bit more important than government protocol."

The agent nodded.  "This changes things considerably.  If there is truly a war going on, and it is within your power to stop it, then we will not stop you from doing so."

"Thank you."

He held up a cautionary finger.  "I am warning you, though: tell them only what you must.  Make sure that they understand the importance of keeping this information secret."

"Believe me, they already do."

"Very well.  You are dismissed."

_***_****

"How'd it go?"

Rogue started.  She hadn't noticed Logan as she stepped into the mansion.  He was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.  She could see a light on over the table.

"Acquittal on all charges."

"That's good."

"Mm-hmm.  Now if you'll excuse me, there's still about four hours of night left.  Ah'd like ta take advantage of 'em."

She turned and climbed the stairs, wearily making for her bedroom.  Kitty was sprawled across her bed, her snores resembling a chainsaw.  Rogue was fairly sure that elephant could have trumpeted right next to her ear, and Kitty wouldn't have woken.  

Rogue changed into her nightgown quickly, and slipped into bed, falling asleep at last.

*******

_Screams._

_They're everywhere, filling the air all around her.  Shrill wails of agony, cries of longing, sad, mournful.  They make her heart break.  She can't imagine what would make people cry with such overwhelming despair._

There is panic everywhere.  Terrified people fill the streets.  Mothers hold screaming children as they run, tears staining their cheeks.  One woman is on her knees screaming, a lifeless babe clutched in her arms.  Rogue wants to cry.

_She turns from the desolate sight to be met with a worse one.  A little boy, no more than five years old, stands in ragged clothes.  His tiny hands grasp those of his parents, lying on the ground._

_"Mommy?  Daddy?  Wake up.  Please wake up."_

_The boy's words go unanswered.  One look at the still forms and Rogue knows that this boy is now an orphan.  _

_Scenes like these go on everywhere—husbands holding dead wives, brothers holding dead sisters.  The corpses litter the street.  It is the sight of a massacre._

_Blood is everywhere.  It covers the ground and the walls, the people are soaked with it.  The stench of death is heavy in the air.  Rogue has never seen so much death.  The bodies are piled atop one another.  The dead greatly outnumber the living._

_Before she knows what she's doing, Rogue is standing next to the boy.  She takes him in her arms, hugging him, whispering soft words of comfort.  She feels something warm and wet on the back of her hand.  The boy cries into her shoulder._

_"Why won't they wake up?" he asks.  _

_"Ah'm sorry.  You're parents…they're in a better place, now."  _

_"I want them to wake up.  Make them wake up?"_

_Her eyes fill with tears for this poor boy.  Suddenly he winces in pain._

_"What's wrong?"_

_"My back."_

_She turns him around, and has to will herself to breath.  There is a deep cut on his back, like he's been stabbed.  He is bleeding all over her hand.  _

_"I think I need to lie down," he says._

_He has lost so much blood.  It's almost more than she can stand.  She holds him gently in her lap._

_"What's yer name?"_

_"Mali."  His voice is barely a whisper.  His eyelids droop._

_"That's a pretty name," she says, her voice breaking.  "Ah'm Rogue."_

_"Rogue," he mumbles.  "I like that name."  Mali leans his head against her chest.  "Sounds like a story hero."_

_"So does Mali.  Ah bet one day they'll make a story about you.  Mali the Great, they'll call you."_

_He smiles with his eyes half-closed.  He sighs.  Rogue watches his chest, waiting for it to rise again._

_It doesn't._

_Rogue gently rocks back and forth, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks, as she holds the lifeless body in her arms._

*******

Rogue sat bolt upright.  Her body quivered.  Tears stained her vision.  She glanced around, half-expecting to see a room full of corpses.  There was only Kitty, still sleeping peacefully.  

She laid back down, taking deep breaths to calm herself.  It was a just a dream.  Just a stupid little dream.  There were no bodies, no screams, and no Mali.  Everything was fine.

The room was considerably lighter than it had been when she'd gone to sleep.  A quick glance at the clock told her that it was almost eight-thirty.  She'd slept for a little over four hours.  That was better than nothing, at least.

Seeing as she was already wide-awake, and not the least bit eager to have another dream like that, she decided it would be best to get up.  Besides, everyone would want to get back to the business with Jennsen, and they couldn't do that without her.  She suddenly wondered why they weren't at school, before remembering that school was closed for a teacher workday.  Quietly as she could, which in her case meant practically silent, Rogue pulled on her clothes and made for the kitchen.

Amazingly, the kitchen was empty except for Ororo, Hank, Jennsen, and one of the twins—Kevin, she thought.  The four of them seemed to be enjoying a conversation about genetic mutations.  Jennsen appeared absolutely fascinated by the idea.  She listened with rapt attention as Hank explained how all genetic material is stored in the DNA.

"But how can it be so small?" she asked.  "It's so important."

"The Amulet is small," Rogue said from the door.  "But it's important too."

Hank gestured for her to take a seat.  "Ah, what a pleasant surprise.  And how are you fairing on this fine morning?"

"Ah'm fine, Ah guess.  Finally got some sleep."

His brow furrowed in confusion.  "What do you mean, finally?"

"Oh, Ah had some last-minute work to do.  Nothin' major."

"Ah.  Well, I was just explaining the function of deoxyribonucleic acid to these two when you arrived.  Would you care to partake in our little tête-à-tête?"

"Sure."

"Good," Ororo added, "maybe you could explain it in words that have fewer than ten syllables each.  I bet they'd start to understand then."

"I see no flaw with my choice of vernacular, thank you very much," he replied, somewhat indignantly.  She rolled her eyes.

Jennsen broke in timidly.  "I still do not understand what ze DNA does.  How does it make mutants?"

Before anyone could stop him Hank launched into a lecture on nitrogenous bases, hydrogen bonds, ATPs, and about a million other things that Rogue couldn't keep up with.  She made a bowl of cereal, instead.  She was almost finished with it when Ororo cut the big blue Beast off in the middle of a sentence about the function of messenger RNA strands.  

"Hank, I think they get the idea.  Normal DNA equals normal people.  Abnormal DNA equals mutants.  It is very simple."

"Very well, we will stand by your abridged version of the genetic system for the time being.  For now, let us discuss a more entertaining topic, hmm?"

"Yeah," Kevin said, speaking up for the first time, "like Little Miss CIA over here.  How did you pull that off?"

"Ah can't tell ya."

He laughed.  "You're kidding me, right?"

"No.  If Ah tell ya, Ah'll probably get fired."

"Well that stinks."

"What is ze CIA?"

Jennsen was watching Rogue with immense curiosity.

"It's short fer Central Intelligence Agency.  It basically works to keep our country safe."

"Like an arrmy?"

"More like special forces.  Unlike an army, most people have no idea what happens inside the CIA.  Agents could be in another country fighting right now and most people wouldn't know it."

"Why is it kept a secrret?"

" 'Cause knowledge is power, and it's best not to let the enemy see how much pow'r ya have."

"I zink I underrstand, _Ausierre_.  And will zis CIA be helping my people, too?"

Rogue shook her head.  "Their duties are here, with our people.  But they have no objection to my helping you."

"So you really arre going to help stop ze warr?"

Rogue glanced at Ororo and Hank for support.  They looked as unsure as she felt. "Jennsen, Ah don't know how ta stop a war."

"Oh."

"Ah mean, Ah'll do whatever Ah can, but…Ah can't promise any more than that."

"I underrstand.  You will do yourr best.  You arre ze _Ausierre_, zat will be enough."

"How can you be so sure?"

Jennsen blinked.  She looked like Rogue had just asked her how she knew the sky was blue.  "Ze _Ausierre_ is always someone of grreat powerr and strrength.  Zey can accomplish ze impossible.  Everryone knows zis."

"If you say so."

_"I know so," _the girl replied in her own language.

"_You put too much faith in me.  I'm not as strong as you think I am."_

"_Yet your people have chosen you to be part of an elite army to keep them safe.  Why would they do that if you were not strong?"_

Rogue had to admit that it made sense.  _"That still doesn't mean I'm strong enough, though.  What if I don't have enough power?"_

Jennsen smiled.  _"Then we would not be talking in a language that you have heard only in your dreams."_

_"Don't mention dreams," _Rogue said, remembering Mali.  _"Mine haven't been very pleasant lately."_

_"What kind of dreams?"_

_"Streets filled with bodies.  Little boys dying.  Like I said, not very pleasant."_

The girl's smile faded.  _"Actually, it sounds a lot like home."_

*******

Rogue waited patiently as everyone settled into their chairs to discuss everything that was happening.  The Amulet still sat in the center of the table, where everyone had an easy view of it.  When everyone was ready, but before Xavier had a chance to speak, Rogue stood.

"Last night Ah had a very disturbing dream.  Ah was standing in a street littered with bodies, while those still living screamed in agony.  There was a little boy standing next to his dead parents.  Ah tried to comfort him.  He died in mah arms.

"Even thought it was only a dream, in Jennsen's world it is becoming more and more of a reality.  Thousands are dying as a result of the war.  Ah can't just let that happen.  Ah'm going to help her people.  You can help me, or you can stay.  It's all up to you."

She sat back down.

Xavier bowed his head to her.  "Very well put.  I agree with you; we must do something.  I have been thinking about it for awhile, and have decided that the best thing would be to send a small group with Jennsen.  That way she could get the help she needs, without it taking to much away from the strength of the X-Men."

"So who'd you have in mind, Chuck?" Logan asked.  

The Professor shook his head.  "I am not going to ask anyone to do this, Logan.  The risks are too great.  Anyone who goes will do so of their own will.  I am not going to force my friends into war."  His gaze swept over the table.  "Are there any volunteers?"

As one the twins raised their hands.  "We go where Jenn goes," Dan explained.

Next was Kurt.  "I'm not letting _mein Schwester_ go alone."

"Like, me neither," Kitty chimed.  "Put me on the list, too."

Gambit looked up from the deck of cards he was shuffling.  "Don't even t'ink about leavin' de Gambit behind."

"And I better go to keep him in line," Logan said.  "Who knows what kind of trouble he'll get into."

"I don't zink I can take anymorre people," Jennsen said.  

Xavier nodded.  "Then it's settled.  The eight of you will go with Jennsen.  Now, we need to discuss details.  First, how will you get there?"

It was such an obvious question, Rogue couldn't believe she hadn't considered it before.  Shouldn't that have been the first thing they talked about?  

"I can open ze porrtal," Jennsen offered.  "It will be a fairrly simple matterr.  Just a few incantations, is all."

She explained a little bit about how a portal was opened.  It would only stay open for a minute or two, so they would have to hurry through.  The actual transport would be almost instantaneous, she told them.  Not too different from Kurt's teleporting.  

They went on to discuss things like what to take, weather or not they should pack weapons, and the like.  A cover story had to be thought up to explain their absence from school.  They discussed ways of keeping in touch while they were gone, like the communicators.  That idea was discarded, however, when Kitty pointed out that there wouldn't be any satellites to relay the message.  Same thing went for cell phones and computers as well, which meant there would be no way to connect back home.  Once they left, they were on their own.

It was decided that they would leave that day, just as soon as everything was ready.  They seemed to have worked everything out.  Only one thing remained: to tell the New Mutants.

"I suppose I should call them in," Xavier said.  He sent out a telepathic message to the kids.  After a few minutes Bobby walked in, followed by Amara, then Jamie.  Soon everyone was gathered in the briefing room.  There were questioning glances shot at the three strangers.  Several stared openly at the glittering Amulet.  They exchanged whispers with one another.

Xavier shushed them.  "I have something very important to tell you.  First, I would like you all to meet Jennsen, Daniel, and Kevin.  They came here the other night requesting our help.  Jennsen is from another dimension, another world.  Her people are facing very dire circumstances."

The kids exchanged looks.  They seemed to be weighing the odds that the Professor was joking them.  He must have sensed this, because he began to assure them that his words were true.

"I'm not playing a joke on you.  I have spoken every word true. Jennsen is from a place called Ben-Tari.  Her people are at war, fighting against a tyrant.  She came here in desperate need of aid, which we have agreed to give.  Rogue, Gambit, Kitty, Kurt, and Logan have all agreed to go with her to her home," he said, indicating each of them in turn, "to help."

"Why can't we go?" Bobby asked indignantly.  "We're good fighters."

"Which is why I need you to stay here, to continue working as X-Men.  It will be a more difficult task with so many people leaving.  I am going to need your help more than ever.  I hope you are ready for the challenge."

The students swelled with pride, saying that he could count on them for anything.

"I knew I could."  

"So how long will they be gone?" Jamie asked.

Xavier blinked.  A few people shifted uncomfortably in their seats.  Rogue suddenly found a tiny scratch on the table very interesting.  

Jamie looked around expectantly.  "Well?  Will they be gone a few days?  A week?  What?"

"Jamie," Xavier began slowly, "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"They are going to a very dangerous place, to do something very difficult.  They are trying to stop a war.  It could be that the whole thing is resolved in a few days, and they come back by the end of the week.  Or it could take months.  Maybe longer."

Even though he didn't say it, everyone knew what he meant.  They may never come home.  It was a war, after all.  In war, people got hurt.  That wasn't a prospect many of them were used to.

"I understand," Jamie said, although he obviously didn't.

The silence stretched uncomfortably.  Finally Logan stood, saying they needed to start packing, and everyone filed out of the room.

Rogue didn't take long to pack.  All she really needed were some clothes.  There money would be useless, and she couldn't see a reason to bring a gun when they would only have a limited supply of ammo.  She remembered Jennsen saying something about cold weather, and decided to bring a pair of gloves.  

When she was done stuffing items into her backpack she brought it downstairs, resting it against the side of a chair.  Jennsen had told them that the portal could only be opened at the place where she had come in, in the woods.  It would be a bit of a hike, but nothing they couldn't handle.  It was almost noon; they would leave right after lunch.

They ate in silence, everyone preoccupied with their own thoughts.  Hank wasn't there.  More than likely he was locked up in the lab, proving some as-yet impossible theory that would put him down in history books.  Typical Hank.

Rogue wished they could all just hurry up and leave.  She didn't like sitting around waiting.  She wasn't looking forward to the goodbyes, either.  It would be so much easier if they could just slip away at night, without anyone noticing.  

Hank loped into the kitchen, something clutched in his big hand.  He offered it out to Rogue.  

It was the Amulet, but he had attached a fine gold chain to it.

"I assumed this would make it easier for you to carry," he explained.

"Thanks."  She slipped the chain over her neck.  The Amulet felt heavy around her neck, but at the same time the weight was oddly comforting.  A tiny bit of heat radiated from the disc.  

"Any time."

*******

The woods were peaceful.  Birds sang merrily in the branches overhead, while the occasional squirrel chattered at them as they passed by.  Leaves crunched underfoot.  The light scattered through the tree limbs, creating strange patterns on the ground.  

Rogue walked slightly behind the others.  Up ahead the others were talking animatedly.  Every now and then Kitty laughed, often enticing Jennsen and Kurt to join in.  Dan's face seemed permanently split by a wide grin, and Gambit's eyes held a devilish glint.  Rogue idly wondered if she should be afraid.  Kevin and Logan were a few paces ahead, holding what appeared to be a slightly more serious conversation.  

All in all it was turning into a pleasant hike.  They'd been walking for a little over an hour, and Jennsen kept assuring them that they were almost there.   Rogue didn't really care; she was enjoying the forest.  It was peaceful.

"Rogue?"

She pulled her gaze away from the trees.  "Hey.  Um, Kevin, right?"

He nodded, changing his pace to match hers.  

"Ah take it Logan chased ya away."

"Basically."  He laughed.  "That man has serious people issues."

"Why do ya think they call him The Wolverine?"

Kevin threw his hands in the air.  "Well I wish someone had told me that _before_!  That would've saved my ears from some very interesting, if anatomically impossible threats."

"What'd he say he'd do?"

"Let's just say it involved a branding iron and leave it at that."

Good old Logan.

"Don't let 'im get to ya.  He's not as mean as he pretends…usually.  What?"  Kevin had his head cocked to one side and was watching her intently.

"I like your hair.  Most people prefer blond highlights.  I've never seen white ones before."

"That's 'cause mine's natural."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Cool."  He ducked under a low-hanging branch.  "Did your mom have hair like that, too?"

Rogue shrugged.  "Ah wouldn't know."  At his puzzled expression she added, "Ah was adopted."

"Oh.  But Kurt keeps saying you're his sister, and I know I heard him talking about his mom earlier."

She nodded.  "Mystique.  His biological mom, mah adopted one.  Unfortunately."

"What, you don't like her?"

Rogue cocked an eyebrow.  "The woman's insane.  She heads the Brotherhood.  Her mission in life is to eradicate mankind."

"A fanatic.  How nice."

"Welcome to mah sad little world."

Rogue glanced ahead, and almost plowed into Kitty.  They had all stopped moving.  Jennsen was looking around at the trees.

"Zis is ze place," she said.  "I will begin setting up ze spell."

"Vhat can ve do?" Kurt asked.

"I need everryone to come hearre, and sit in a circle."  They all did as they were told.  Rogue found herself opposite Jennsen, sitting between Gambit and Kitty.  

"Hold hands."

She made sure she had a firm grip on her power before taking their hands gently.  Gambit gave hers a gently squeeze.

 "Once ze porrtal iz open, you must all go thrrough firrst.  I will hold it open, and enterr last.  I will need you to be quiet, so my concentration does not break.  Do you all understand?"  They all nodded and said that they did.  "Good."  She began chanting in a soft, flowing voice.  "_Nirva sholem ka.  Nirva sholem ka.  Nirva sholem ka._"

 A tiny point of light appeared in the air over their heads.  As she chanted the light grew, taking on a circular shape.  Different colors began to swirl around inside it, like colored dye in water.  Blues and greens mixed with yellows and oranges and reds, yet the colors didn't blend together.  Instead they curled around each other, always moving, always growing, until the light was several feet across.

It began to elongate, stretching down towards the ground, until it was tall enough for a person to walk through.  The light brightened, and the colors danced with one another.  

Jennsen nodded once.  It was time to go. 

Logan stepped up to the portal.  He sniffed at it, then stepped boldly through.  Kurt went next, taking a running start and then jumping through.  Kevin and Dan went together, scrunching their eyes closed before walking into it.  Kitty stood at the brink for a moment, took a deep breath, and stepped through.  Gambit walked up to the portal, turned, did an elegant bow, and then stepped backwards through the light.  

Finally it was Rogue's turn.  She stood, studying the light carefully.  It was slightly smaller, she noticed.  Jennsen was having a difficult time keeping it open.  Rogue glanced over her shoulder at the woods one last time,  and stepped through.

It was like standing on a roller coaster.

She was in a tunnel made of the same swirling, colored lights as the portal, only this time everything was moving.  Rogue felt like she was being propelled forward at an insane speed by some invisible force.  Colors raced past her, blurring together as she sped past.  It was like being in a movie on fast-forward.  Everything raced by as the tunnel twisted and turned first one way, then another.  She couldn't understand how she was able to stay upright.  It was all happening so fast.

Then, as quickly as it had started, it stopped.  The light disappeared, leaving her disoriented and seeing spots.  Her body swayed on the suddenly still ground.  She shook her head to clear her vision.

She was standing in the middle of a small room.  The floors were made of wood, and the walls were stone.  Two rows of beds lined either side of the room.  Each bed had uniform white sheets laid over them to fall over the wooden frames at exactly the same height.  The top sheets were turned down from the pillow at the place on every bed.  

Between the beds small wooden tables hugged the walls.  The tables all held the same things: a folded white cloth, a small bowl, and a kerosene lamp.    There were drawers with little silver handles on each table.  

Rogue spied Kitty and the others standing by one of the beds at the far side of the room.  Kitty glanced up at her, waving her over to them.  Rogue looked back over her shoulder at the swirling portal.  As she watched a brown-robed arm poked through, followed by a leg, and then the rest of Jennsen as she stepped through.  When the tale of her robe cleared the light, it vanished into nothingness.

"Where are we?" Rogue asked.  Jennsen looked around, and Rogue could tell that she was seeing things that had once been there.

"The infirmary," she said in a quiet voice, almost to herself.  "We're in the Abbey's infirmary."

"Abbey?"  Kurt watched them from across the room.  "This is an Abbey?"

Jennsen nodded.  "The Abbey of Father Harold."  Her voice broke slightly.  "This is where they…where L'Kal's men attacked, the night I left."  She sank down onto the foot of a bed.  "They were looking for the Amulet.  This building is a house of worship, no one thought it would ever be attacked, so there aren't any defenses.  We've always allowed people to come and go at will.  The Shiran walked right through the front door.  They asked the Gatekeeper where the Amulet was.  When he didn't answer, they killed him.  They charged into the building, looking for the Abbot.  He hid up here, with a few others.  My parents and I were here too.  We thought that maybe they'd give up and leave.  When they kept coming, the Abbot opened a portal.  He sent me through with the Amulet.  The last thing I saw was the Shiran coming through the door, killing people."

Rogue looked away.  The memory of her dream came surging forward, and she found herself unable to forget the feel of Mali's lifeless little body.  

*******     

 "Welcome to Hallsington, crown city of Paladir."

Cobblestone roads spread out in every direction, lined on either side by shops of every sort.  Elaborately painted signs hung over wooden doors, proclaiming the shopkeeper's profession.  There were butchers and tailors, bakeries and blacksmiths, jewelers and apothecaries.  Items hung in windows, displaying their fine quality.  

Interspersed among the stores were venders displaying everything from crude talismans guaranteed to cure fevers, to swords and daggers that had all been in the most prestigious battles, almost always in the hands of a legendary king or lord.  Men stood behind the little tables, preaching the authenticity of their wares.  People crowded around them, haggling prices, making deals, and arguing over the workmanship.  Coins flowed freely.

Set off from the market, but still close enough to be convenient, were the inns.  Being several stories taller than the shops, they were easy to spot.  As with the stores, these had painted signs hanging over the entryways.  There was _The Bullhead Tavern_, _The Greenleaf Inn_, _The Black Crow_, and dozens more.  They ranged from the stately and well-kept to the run-down.  Some were two stories high, some three, some only one.  A few had little stone figures decorating the doorways.

Crowding the streets at every corner, making their ways from the inns to the shops and back, were people.  Throngs of them, dressed in everything from worker's uniforms to fine suits and dresses.  They went in and out of shops, gathered around venders, and disappeared inside taverns.  Some formed groups outside of shops, heartily discussing current events.  Almost everyone seemed to be talking about the attack on the Abbey.

Rogue twisted her head in every direction, wanting to take it all in.  Hallsington was like a city straight from the  movies.  Horses clip-clopped down the streets, some towing fine carriages behind them.  The men all wore sword at their hips, and the women were all in flowing dresses.  It was like stepping back in time.

"This is, like, _so_ cool!"

Kitty was staring openly at the spectacle before them.  They had walked along the road outside the Abbey and were now standing at the fringes of the city.  It had been a short fifteen-minute walk.  Rogue supposed the small distance was so that the Abbey would be far enough away to have some seclusion, but close enough to serve as a place of worship for the people in Hallsington.

Jennsen's spirits had raised once they were away from the Abbey.  She was smiling easily now, as was everyone else.  

"I've never seen anyplace like it," Dan chimed.  

Kevin nodded his agreement.  "Horse-drawn carriages…cobblestone roads…"

"And not a single car, truck, or motorcycle," his brother added.  He took a deep breath.  "Ah, fresh air!  No pollution!  No factory smoke!"

"No plumbing," Logan broke in.  "No running water, no heat, no lighting, no radios, no computers, no TVs, no—"

"All right already!  We get the picture!"  

"You are, like, such a spoilsport," Kitty huffed.  Logan acted like he didn't notice.

Gambit finally started walking towards the city.  He turned to them, walking backwards.  "Well?  Are you just going to stand there all day, or what?"

Rogue started to follow him, Kitty at her side.  Kurt made to leap past them, but was stopped by Logan's hand on his fuzzy shoulder.

"Hold it, Elf.  Aren't you forgetting something?"

Kurt grinned sheepishly, pushing the button on his holowatch.  Immediately his blue fur and fangs were replaced by what would have been an average teenage boy back in Bayville, but was probably just as out-of-place here as his yellow eyes and tail.  Logan took off his hand, and Kurt ran out to meet Gambit.  Jennsen slid up next to Rogue, adjusting her brown robes slightly.

"Being a member of the Abbey means I have a reputation to uphold," she said by way of explanation.  "Especially now, after…"

Rogue placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, a gesture she wasn't quite used to expressing.  "I understand."

Jennsen smiled at her.  "Thank you, _Ausierre_.  Your words mean a lot."

"You know, you could just call me Rogue like everyone else."

"But you are the _Ausierre_.  Calling you anything less would be an insult."

Rogue jumped when Gambit slipped his arm around her waist.

"What about _chere_?  That an insult?"

She smiled pleasantly at him.  "Only coming from you, Swamp Rat."  He opened his mouth to respond, only to find himself falling backward onto the stones underfoot.  Rogue glared at him.  "Don't touch me."

A devilish grin split his face.  "I like a woman who takes charge."

She rolled her eyes before starting off again, not waiting for him to get up.  Behind her the twins struggled to keep from laughing at the thief.  Kitty didn't bother with trying to restrain herself.

Logan just ignored the whole thing. 

As they made their way through the streets, people began to take notice of Jennsen.  Several times they would walk up to her, offering condolences, or seeking guidance.  A few bowed reverently.

"It looks like you're doing a good job with that rep," Rogue commented as a man strode happily away from them after being blessed by Jennsen.  

"Just wait until they start to notice the Amulet," she said.  Rogue was afraid she didn't want to know what that meant.  So she asked where they were going, instead.

"Well first we have to find a place to spend the night."

"And then?" Rogue pressed.

"Then we're going to see King Marcus."

Rogue missed a step.

"_King_ Marcus?  _King?_"

"Yes, King."

"Why are you taking us to a King?"

Jennsen raised an eyebrow.  "So that he can swear fidelity to the Savior."

It was only by sheer luck that Rogue stayed on her feet.    

"So he can…Please tell me you're kidding."

"About what," Kitty broke in, popping up between the two of them.  Kurt appeared at Rogue's other side.

"Yeah, about what?"

"She says she's taking us to see a king."

"Cool," they chorused.

"She wants him to swear fidelity."

"So?" Kitty asked.

"To _me_!"

"Oh.  This could get interesting."

Rogue glared.  "That's what I'm afraid of."

"So," Kurt said, rubbing his hands together eagerly, "when do we see him?"

"Tomorrow."  Jennsen nodded her head towards the inns.  "First we must find a place to stay the night."

"Um, small problem," he said.  "We're a little on the broke side.  Unless of course they accept US currency, in which case…we're a little on the broke side," he finished flatly.

Jennsen waved his concerns aside.  "You are traveling with a Sister of the Abbey.  I could book an entire inn, in exchange for a blessing on the man who owned it.  As of now, money is something you need not concern yourselves with."

As if to prove her point, a man who had been sweeping off the front steps of his inn leaned his broom against the door, stepping out in front of them.  He dropped to his knees before Jennsen.

"Praise to the Order," he said reverently.  

Jennsen kissed her hand, then touched the man's forehead.  "The Star shines upon you."

The man stood, grinning broadly.  "Thank you.  I didn't know there were any of you left, after the attack."  He stopped, suddenly realizing what he'd said.  "Forgive me, I didn't mean any disrespect.  Its just…people were beginning to lose faith."

"I understand.  But soon all will have their faith restored."

"I don't understand."

She looked pointedly at Rogue.  The man followed her gaze, his eyes settling on the Amulet hanging from her neck.

"The Star…"

He fell to his knees, touching his forehead to the ground.  He began kissing her feet, his hands clutching at her legs.  She stepped back awkwardly.

"Get up," she said.  Instantly the man was on his feet, tears shining in his eyes.

"As the Savior commands," he said.  "Please, what is it you wish of me?  I am humbly at your service."  He bowed low.

"What's your name?"

"Gregory Mayfeild, milady.  Keeper of the _Gold Crown _Inn," he added proudly.

Jennsen smiled.  "What a coincidence.  The _Ausierre_ and her party are in need of a place to stay."

Gregory swayed on his feet.  "The Savior?  In my inn?  What an honor!"

"And her party," Jennsen added.  Gregory looked up, seeming to notice the others for the first time.

"Yes, yes, of course.  You will have my finest rooms.  Best accommodations on all of Oak Street.  I'll not disappoint you."

"Excellent.  The _Ausierre_ will need dinner, of course."

Gregory nodded.  "Of course.  I'll have the cook get right on it.  Er, and what would the Savior desire?  Roasted duck?  Potato soup?  Ham?"

"How about a buffet of your finest dishes?"

Gregory bowed low.  "As you wish.  Do you wish to go to your rooms now?"

"Yes, please."

 "I'll have your bags brought up."  He shouted over his shoulder toward the inn.  "John!  Henry!"

Two boys emerged from the front door.  One had a cup in his hand and was wiping it with a towel.

"Sir?" he asked.

"Don't just stand there, you fools!  Get over here!"

The boys shrugged.  The one with the cup set it down, flipping the towel over his shoulder.  They jogged to Gregory's side, bowing slightly when they saw Jennsen.

"Sir?" the one with the towel repeated.

Gregory slapped the back of his head.  "Do you have any idea who this _is_?"  The boys shook their heads.  "Well look at her!"

They did, their eyes widening almost instantly.  As one, the boys fell to their knees.

"The Savior be Praised…"

"Get up," Rogue said quickly, before they could start kissing her feet.  They sprang up instantly.

Gregory watched them for a minute, then thunked the top of their heads.  "Don't just stand there!  Get their packs!"

"Yes, sir!"  

The boy without the towel bowed low in front of Rogue.  "I will take your bag, if it pleases you."

The other boy scowled at him.  "That's _my_ job, Henry.  _I'll_ take her bag."

Henry shook his head.  "Master Mayfield called both of us, not just you.  I'll carry her bags if she wants me to."

"You can carry the other bags," John protested.  

"So can you."

Rogue couldn't believe they were fighting over who got to carry her stuff inside.  She cleared her throat, to get their attention.

"Maybe I should just carry 'em myself?"

Gregory paled.  "Milady, there is no need…"

"Well somebody has to do it, and since these two can't make up their minds, I might as well."

"I'll take it for you," Henry offered.

"No, let me!"

Rogue rolled her eyes.  "All right, new plan."  She held the bag out to John.  "He offered first, so he gets to take it in."  John beamed proudly.  Henry scowled at him.  "Henry, you get to carry it out when we leave."  The boy's face brightened.  "As you wish, milady."  He turned to his comrade.  "Didja hear that?" he whispered excitedly.  "She knows my name!"

That settled, the two began collecting everyone else's things before going back inside, grinning widely.

Gregory bowed low.  "Please, follow me."

He led them into the inn, past the common room where men and women sat drinking and eating, and into a private room in the back.

"I'll have your meal ready shortly."  He bowed quickly and left.

They all sat around the large table, taking in the room.  It wasn't exactly spotless, but it was still cleaner than Rogue had expected.  

"So," Kitty said after several long minutes, "Now what?"

"We eat," Jennsen answered simply.  "Then we go to sleep, and tomorrow we head for the palace."

"Why?" Logan asked.

"We're here to end the war, right?" Jennsen asked.

"I guess…"

"Well King Marcus is the leader of one of the few countries that stands against L'Kal.  We need to tell him about the _Ausierre_, so he can send word to our allies."

Logan grunted his understanding.  "So exactly what is the current situation as far as allies and enemies?"

Before Jennsen could answer Gregory stepped back in carrying a tray with drinks and a plate of biscuits.

"I'm afraid the kitchen staff is a little short-handed today, so it may take awhile."

"That's all right," Jennsen assured him.  "Excuse me, but do you have a map I could borrow?"

"Map?"  Gregory scratched his head.  "Yes, I believe so.  Just one moment."  He disappeared, then reappeared a minute later holding a rolled up paper.  "Here."  He handed it to Jennsen, bowed, and left.

She unrolled the map on the table, using two mugs to hold it down on either end.  The map showed dozens of small countries to the north, with larger countries to the south.

"These," she said, indicating the northern countries, "were once independent lands."  She tapped one of the countries near the center.  "This is Ray'Tak, L'Kal's homeland.  He systematically conquered each of these independent lands to create what he calls the People's Empire."  She tapped one of the large countries to the south.  "This is Paladir."  She pointed to the two countries nearest Paladir.  "Kirak and Yucanni.  Those three countries form the largest part of the Alliance of the Wildlands.  They also take the brunt of the attacks from the Empire."

From what Jennsen had shown them, the People's Empire was at least twice the size of the Wildlands, even with the smaller, less important countries added in.  

"How big is L'Kal's army?" Rogue asked, fearing to hear the answer.

"Close to half a million strong at least," Jennsen said glumly.

"And the Wildlands'?"

"Half that.  Maybe."

Gambit raised an eyebrow.  "Gambit thinks we're in trouble."

*******

Biting wind sliced through the air, making the skeletal tree limbs rattle.  Darkness reined over the dense wood.  Glowing yellow eyes peeked out from between the branches, watching her.  Following her.  

Something shrieked in the distance.  It was a death-call.  Rogue shuddered at the sound.  She picked her way carefully through the forest, trying to make use of what little light there was.  The clouds that covered most of the stars parted occasionally to reveal a full moon.  

Rogue heard something growl behind her.  She froze.  Soft footsteps continued towards her.  She turned, coming face to face with a pair of red eyes.

Her heart jumped into her throat.  Without thinking she took a step backwards.  The creature took a step towards her.  She could make out its shape against the trees.  It stood on four muscular legs.  Its head came up to her chest.  It took another deliberate step forward, its blood red eyes never leaving her.  The thing's mouth opened to reveal large white teeth.  It growled again.

Rogue considered running, but decided it would be pointless.  She couldn't possibly hope to outrun this beast.  It continued forward, the moonlight glistening off its black fur.  The thing moved like a living shadow, barely visible in the surrounding darkness.

She kept backing away from it, her mind racing to come up with a way out.  Her back hit a tree trunk.  The thing stopped a few feet from her.  It looked up at the tree, then back down at her.  It growled.

Rogue could feel herself shaking.  The creature glanced at the tree again.  

"Get away from me," she whispered shakily.

"Tree," the thing said in a deep bass voice.  Rogue jumped.  "Tree," it said again.

"What?"

It growled.  "Climb."

Understanding washed over her.  That was why it had been staring at the tree.  It wanted her to climb it.

"Why?" she asked.  Her voice trembled.

The creature's eyes narrowed.  "He comes."

"Who does?  Who's coming?"

"Death Man.  Climb."

Rogue shook her head.  "I don't understand."

"Death Man comes.  You climb.  Death Man leaves.  You climb down."

"What happens if I don't climb?"

"Death Man sees you."

Rogue swallowed.  "And then?"

"He makes you dead.  Climb now.  Death Man almost here.  Climb."

She decided to trust the creature, seeing as she didn't have much choice, and scaled the tree quickly.  She sat on one of the branches, putting a hand to the trunk for support.  The thing watched her for a few seconds.

"Stay," it growled.  She nodded.

The thing turned, its ears straightening.  A man on horseback came through the trees.  He was dressed in all black.  He had on a helmet with a spike at the top at two horns that curved forwards from the sides.  His face was hidden beneath it.  In one hand the man clutched a shield with a winged beast on it, in the other he held an axe.  His huge black horse stopped in front of the creature.

"Where is she?" the Death Man hissed.

"Not here.  Leave."

"Where is she?" the Death Man repeated.

The creature growled.  "Death Man is not welcome here.  Leave."

"Tell me where she is."

"Cloud Stripe not here."

Rogue guessed "Cloud Stripe" was supposed to be her.    

The horse stamped a hoof.  "Liar"  The Death Man leaned forward in his saddle.  "You're protecting her.  Why?"

The creature shook its massive head.  "Not protecting.  Death Man leave now."

"No."

"Death Man is not welcome."

"Tell me where she is."

Rogue's heart hammered against her ribs.  She prayed he wouldn't hear it.  Or her ragged breathing, for that matter.  The creature growled again, louder this time.

"Cloud Stripe not here.  Leave"

The man looked around.  Rogue found herself praying that his eyes wouldn't land on her.  "I know she's here," he hissed.  "Tell me where."

"Death Man thinks too much of himself.  Thinks he is strong enough to tell Kwan Jang what to do."  Its voice lowered dangerously.  "Maybe Death Man wishes to be dead?"

The Death Man laughed.  It was not a pleasant sound.  "I do not fear you.  You are nothing without your pack."

The creature smiled.  At least, it showed a lot of teeth.  "Without pack?  Kwan Jang is never without pack." 

As the thing spoke, another creature stepped out behind the Death Man.  Another one came from behind Rogue's tree.  Soon the Death Man was surrounded.

"Now Death Man leaves," the creature said.  A dozen red eyes watched him.  "Or Kwan Jang gives attack sign."

The man straightened in his saddle.  "Very well."  He wheeled his horse around.  The beasts parted to let him through.  Suddenly the helmeted head whipped around.  She couldn't see its eyes, but Rogue knew he was staring at her.  Terror washed through her.

"I see you."

Rogue froze.  The Death Man advanced towards her, raising his axe.  When he stood in the stirrups he was tall enough to reach her with it.

"Cloud Stripe!  Run!"  The creature charged for her, something akin to panic showing in its red eyes.  She needed no second warning.   Before the Death Man could close the distance she leapt to the ground and ran.  The creature took the lead.  Behind, she heard sounds of battle as its pack attacked the man.  From the pained cries they were making, it was clear who was winning.

The thing glanced over its shoulder to make sure she was following.

"Hurry Cloud Stripe!  Follow Kwan Jang!"

Branches whipped at her face.  Vines snagged her clothes.  In the darkness, it was difficult to see the creature, let alone follow it.  

The thunder of hooves warned that the Death Man was on their trail.  Rogue was running as fast as she could, but she was no match for the giant horse.  It grew ever closer, its hooves beating a quick tattoo on the ground.  

She wasn't going to make it.  He was going to catch her, and then that axe was going to cleave her in two.  Rogue could see it as clearly as if it had already happened: her struggling to run away while the Death Man charged past, swinging his axe.  There was no way out.  If she tried climbing another tree he would catch up before she was high enough.  Keep running, and he would overtake her.  It was hopeless.  

Something sharp dug into her arm.  It tugged at her sleeve, pulling her around.  The sudden change in direction made her lose her balance, and she tumbled onto the hard stone floor.

She started.  Stone?  Her eyes darted around; she was in a small cave.  The creature let go of her sleeve and moved in front of her.

"Still," it commanded.  She complied, laying as motionless as possible.  Out side she heard the pounding of hooves as the Death Man charged past.

They waited.  He didn't return.  Finally the creature turned from the cave entrance to focus on her.

"Safe now," it said.

"Thank you for protecting me…um…"

"Kwan Jang," it told her.

"Kwan Jang.  Thank you very much." 

Kwan Jang smiled at her.  "Cloud Stripe need not say thanks.  Her actions will be thanks enough."

"My actions?" Rogue shifted so she was sitting cross-legged on the cold floor.

The big black head nodded.  " 'This war will be fought for all,'" he quoted.  At least, she was pretty sure it was a he.  "Prophecies speak of great honor given to Kwan Jang's pack by Cloud Stripe."

"Like what?"

He did a fair imitation of a shrug, retracting his bull neck into his shoulders.  "Don't know.  Up to Cloud Stripe."

"Figures."  Rogue was getting a little annoyed with everyone acting like she was some supreme being.  It had an unsettling resemblance to Magneto's theory that Mutants were superior to mankind.  

Kwan Jang looked up at the sliver of sky visible through the cave entrance.  It was painted a brilliant shade of orange.  Dawn.

"Go," he ordered.  "Bring Kwan Jang his honor."

"I'll do my best."

The beast nodded slowly, wisely.  "Always.  That is the way.  Go now."  

*******

"Make way!  Make way for the Savior!"

Crowds parted like the Red Sea as the procession moved past.   People dropped to their knees in a huge wave that rippled down the street.  As they passed people stood once more to stare in awe at the grand sight that moved through the city.

Two hundred soldiers marched six abreast down the cobblestone road.  Sunlight reflected off the tips of a forest of lances, and off the perfectly polished breastplates of each man.  Every lance was held at precisely the same angle.  Every foot fell at exactly the same time.  At every left hip hung a sword with an ornate letter _P_ on the hilt.   From every right shoulder, pinned with two brass buttons, hung a crimson cape.  

In front of the soldiers marched a standard-bearer, holding aloft a flag adorned with a sword crossing over a shield against a crimson field: the flag of Paladir.  Beside him was the herald whose voice brought the attention of everyone in the area, as though the ranks of soldiers weren't enough.  While he shouted the Savior's coming for all to hear, beside him a drummer beat a steady tattoo, setting the pace for the soldiers.   

As the column marched passed, people marveled at the sight of two hundred soldiers, all stepping in perfect time with one another.  But it was what walked in the center that captivated their eyes, and made them whisper prayers under their breaths.

The Savior had come to Hallsington.

Rogue and her seven companies walked in the middle of the two hundred men bristling with steel.  Wolverine, Dan, and Kevin walked at the fore.  Behind them strode Jennsen, proud and tall in the brown robes of her trade.  To the rear were Gambit, Kurt, and Kitty.  They all walked in silence, their faces a reflection of the steel-clad men who surrounded them.  They were filled with purpose.  

In the center of it all walked Rogue.  She was dressed from head to toe in the color that suited her best: black.  She had no gothic makeup, however, as it was all back at the mansion.  Like Jennsen, she walked with her back straight and her head high, looking the world straight in the face.  One her chest, sparkling in the light, was the Amulet of Life.  It drew more gazes than anything else.  Not even Rogue's white streaks could compete with the way people gawked at the gold disc hanging round her neck.  

Rogue glanced to the soldiers on either side of her.  They had been selected from Hallsington's Home Guard earlier, when Jennsen told the Captain of her need for an escort.  Once she gave the reason men began tripping over themselves to volunteer.  Everyone wanted to be a part of this grand moment in history.

Beyond the lances she could see stunned people watching her with emotions ranging from wonder, to reverence, to wide-eyed terror.  She wondered what could cause such a diverse range of emotions.  To see one person look at her like she was salvation of mankind, and another stare at her as though she were about to strike them dead at a moment's notice, was bizarre to say the least.  She couldn't help but wonder what had led to such great fear of the Savior.  At the same time she was afraid she might find out.

The King's Palace loomed up ahead.  It was built on a hill, so that it towered above the rest of the city.  Not that needed much help.  The walls vaulted up towards the sky, coming together in a great domed roof at the center.  Towers shot upwards like great stone arrows, trapped in their flight to the stars.  A giant wall encircled the grand structure, hiding parts of it from view.  Soldiers marched between the guard posts on the wall, while men prepared to open the iron portcullis.  

When the soldiers were almost to the gates a voice rang out from the wall above.

"Who goes there?  Halt, and be recognized!"

The herald stepped foreword.  He raised the white horn at his hip and blew it once, sending out a low, clear note that rose in pitch as it continued.  He dropped the horn, shouting, "Open the gates!  The Savior has come for an audience with the King!  Let us pass!"

An answering horn sounded from the wall, and the portcullis began to raise.  As soon as the iron spikes were far enough overhead, they marched through.  What lay on the other side took Rogue's breath away.     

They cobblestone road they had marched on for so long changed suddenly to a paved street painted with colorful designs.  On either side of them sat a row of marble statues, guardians of stone.  Some were of past kings, sitting in their thrones with magnificent crowns upon their heads.  The watched the gates of their palace, overseeing the safety of their home.  Beyond them stood great stone beasts that snarled at unseen enemies of the Crown.  Giant marble paws hung frozen in the air, claws extended, preparing to slash at their opponents.  On some great wings rose up, as though the mighty stone creatures were going to take flight at any moment.  Every statue had a living quality to it.  They were not so much statues as they were living stone.  They seemed alert, aware, sentient.  Rogue stared in wonder at their incredible beauty.

Their eyes caught her attention most, though.  The eyes were not carved of stone.  Instead, they were made of precious jewels, set into the marble.  It reminded her of nothing so much as the statue of Polyphemus from which she had taken the fateful Prophecy.  She doubted that it was a coincidence.  Rubies and sapphires and emeralds all sparkled on the faces of stone, adding to the illusion of reality.  

On the road ahead, between the rows of stone, stood the grand entrance to the palace.  Nearly on hundred steps rose to meet massive columns, each as big around as an elephant.  They were decorated with gold bands at the top and bottom that sparkled whenever the sun hit them.  Beyond them was an open space that would seem massive by normal standards, but when seen as part of the palace was nothing more than a modest porch.  Gilded designs covered the floor there.  Strange shapes and patterns interlocked with one another to form a complex pattern that was at once confusing and beautiful.  

Beyond the steps, and the columns, and the intricate design stood the doors.  Two of them, each twice the height of a man, opened wide enough for twenty soldiers to march though side by side.  Symbols covered the doorframe, but Rogue had no time to consider their meaning as she strode past the great doors and into the palace itself.

The gilded designs, it seemed, was a common theme throughout the palace.  Dozens of lines crissed and crossed along the entryway floor, joining and separating in what seemed to be chaos, but somehow gave off a sense of order.  More of the giant columns rose on either side to support the high ceiling overhead.  Rogue guessed that if she put her arms around one, they wouldn't even make it half-way.  Letting her gaze drift higher, she noticed stained-glass windows near the ceiling that let in the warm sunlight.  

Beyond the columns stood a force of soldiers that dwarfed hers to the point of insignificance.  Well over a thousand men stood at attention on either side of the hall, eyes rooted to the front, feet together, hands at their sides.  If they took any notice of the relatively small force moving past, they didn't show it.

At the end of the long hall stood another set of giant doors, this time with perhaps half a dozen soldiers in front of them.  As the procession neared the doors a man stepped forward.  He was dressed like the others with the exception of the gold star tattooed on his forehead.  When the soldiers were close enough he held out his hand.

"Halt!"

Two hundred men all snapped to attention at once.  The drummer beat out one last, hard strike.  The herald stepped forward.  He gave a salute with his fist to his heart, which the soldier returned.

"Who seeks an audience with King Marcus, sovereign of all Paladir?" demanded the soldier.  

"It is the Savior," replied the herald.  From the way they spoke it was plain to Rogue that the conversation was more ceremony than anything else.  "Stand aside, General, and let her pass!"

The General saluted with a fist to his heart.  With a clatter of metal, every one of the attendant soldiers did the same.  The men standing in front of the doors stepped aside, with two opening them as they did so.  

The procession marched through the doors and into the King's throne room.  As they filed in, the soldiers peeled off to either side to join the ranks of men already standing along the walls.  Within seconds the ring of steel was gone, and only the eight companions were left.  

They strode purposefully down the red carpet leading to the throne, trying not to stare at the rich tapestries that covered the walls, or at the ornate battle standards that hung from the ceiling.  Rogue kept her eyes rooted on the golden throne that sat atop a large dais, and the man who sat in it.

King Marcus was the picture of authority.  He was in his late fifties, but held no sign of being old.  He was alert and strong, his piercing brown-eyed gaze taking in every detail around him.  His back was straight and his chin high; this was not a man to be taken lightly.  His wavy brown hair was ringed by a gold crown that wrapped around his head like three intertwining strands of thread.  His clothes were the most decorative Rogue had ever seen.  Gold brocades ran around the collar and down the front of his scarlet coat, with more two more circling the cuffs of his sleeves.  The coat was open slightly, revealing an embroidered gray vest underneath.  His pants and boots were both black, but the boots had golden trimming at the top.  Heavy jeweled rings adorned every one of his fingers.  He was an imposing sight, but Rogue felt something was missing.  A sword.  That was it, she realized: he was missing a sword.  This was a man who wasn't complete without a sword.

When they were still several feet away from the dais Logan, Kevin, and Dan stopped.  They stepped aside to let Jennsen pass, as she had instructed them to.  Before any other introduction Jennsen dropped to one knee, lowering her head in a bow.  Rogue noted that she was only on one knee, rather than two like when she bowed to Rogue.  The others all followed Jennsen's example, except for Rogue.  As per the other girl's instructions, she remained on her feet.

"_When we enter the throne room," Jennsen had said,_ "_I will bow.  You all will do the same.  Rogue, you will not.  Under no circumstances are you to so much as bow your head for King Marcus.  You are his superior, not he yours.  Do not let him forget that."_

Now, as everyone else dropped to the floor, the King was granted an unhindered view of Rogue.  He looked her up and down—not like most men did, allowing their eyes to rove over her chest, but like a soldier sizing up an opponent.  His gaze lingered on the Amulet for a few seconds before finally rising until their eyes locked.  In those hard brown orbs she saw two things: a sense of justice and an iron will.  

"Rise, my people," he said in a deep voice that rang with authority.  There was much rustling of cloth as everyone stood once again.  Jennsen stepped forward.

"My King, I am Sister Jennsen Turlock of the Abbey of Father Harold."

"So I see," the King said, gesturing towards her robes.  "It has been a long time since a member of the Order was in my court.  I hope you bring good tidings?"

Jennsen nodded.  "Your Majesty, I bring for you the greatest news imaginable.  A new Savior now walks among us."

King Marcus' eyes glanced over Jennsen's shoulder to watch Rogue.  She tried not to fidget under his scrutiny.

"And what has you so convinced," he began, looking once more at Jennsen, "that she is the Savior?"

The girl did not falter.  She calmly clasped her hands in front of her, a pose that made her look a little older, and much wiser.  "I am convinced, You Majesty, because she spoke of the Red Eye Prophecy."

"And?"  

Rogue had enough experience reading people's expressions to know that the King was only pretending to be ignorant.  He hadn't asked the question to learn the answer; he had asked the question to learn more about Jennsen.

"I do not know how well versed Your Majesty is in prophecy—"

"Very well versed," he interrupted.  She nodded.

"Then you must know of the Naming Prophecy.  It says 'she is the holder of the Amulet, and shall proclaim herself so.'"

The King waved her explanation aside.  "That proves nothing.  How do you know that she is the one spoken of in the Prophecy?"

"Because, Your Majesty, the Naming Prophecy also makes clear that it will only come to pass if the Red Eye Prophecy also comes to pass.  They are linked with one another.  The fact that her actions fit in with both Prophecies means that she is the one.  She is the _Ausierre_."

King Marcus nodded.  "Very well.  You three, step aside," he said to Logan and the twins, waving his hand to illustrate.  The did as he ordered, leaving no one between Rogue and the King.  "Now you," he said "step forward."

Jennsen's words played through her head.  _"You are his superior, not he yours.  Do not let him forget that."_

"I'm happy right here, thank you," she said.  She noted, with some dismay, that nearly a thousand hands moved to grasp sword hilts.  Luckily no blades were drawn.  She reasoned that as long as she never saw steel, she was safe.

The King leaned forward in his throne.  "Do you know whom you are addressing?" he asked dangerously.

"Of course.  You're the man who's going to help lead the Wildlands to victory.  Am I right?"

The corners of his mouth turned up in a small smile.  Apparently she had answered right, because the thousand hands were now leaving their sword hilts.

"Right you are.  And may I please know who you are?"

"I am the _Ausierre_, the Savior, and the Rogue.  You may call me whichever one you like best," she added, shrugging her shoulders.  The King leaned back in his chair.

"So, a Savior has come to Paladir.  Little young, though, aren't you?"

Rogue shrugged again.  "That depends on your standards.  King Tutankhamun assumed the throne when he was just six.  I'm a decade older than him."

"Well what are your people's standards?"

"By my people's standards I'm old enough to be a government agent.  I guess that means I'm old enough to do just about anything.  Now can we please move on to more important things?"

"Such as…?"

"Your allegiance to me.  Sister Jennsen, here, has informed me that the King of Paladir is bound to the Amulet, and its holder.  Since I hold the Amulet, you have a duty to me.  I am now calling upon you to honor that duty.  What say you?"

The room held its breath as King Marcus studied her from his golden seat.  Her heart pounded with the enormity of what was happening.  If he agreed, then they would be able to begin working to end the war.  If he said no, then…well, then they probably wouldn't make it out of the room alive.  The thousand hands were back on their sword hilts.

And then, with the slow grace of a lion, the King rose from his throne.  He descended the dais steps calmly, his eyes never leaving Rogue.  The sound of his boots echoed off the walls as he crossed the red carpet, stopping within arm's length of her.

Without speaking a word, King Marcus, ruler of Paladir, dropped to his knees. 

"I pledge my land, my sword, and my life to the Savior," he said.  The words were obviously ceremonial, but they were not spoken by rote.  He meant every word.

There was a great clamor of steel as the thousand soldiers all dropped to the floor.  Every person in the room bowed low, touching their foreheads to the marble floor.  

"Rise, my people," she whispered.  In the silent room, she might as well have shouted it.  Everyone rose to their feet.  King Marcus smiled at her.

"This is truly a great day," he said.

Before Rogue could say anything the doors burst open behind her.  She turned in time to see a weary soldier run through.  He came to a panting halt before King Marcus, dropping into a hasty bow and rising without waiting for the King's consent.

"My King, urgent news from Captain Blain!"

"Report," the King ordered.

The soldier took a few gulping breaths before continuing.  "The enemy is moving, Sire.  They will be at out walls within the hour."

"How many?"

"Five-hundred thousand, Sire, approaching from the North." 

King Marcus turned to the row of soldiers standing at attention against the wall.

"General Reece!"

The man with the star tattooed forehead stepped forward, saluting with his fist to his heart.  "Your Majesty?"

"Take these men to the walls.  Sound the alarms.  See to it that the signals are lit, then begin setting up defenses.  I want every able-bodied man armed and on that wall, is that understood?"

The General clapped his fist to his heart.  "Yes, sir!"  He turned to the soldiers surrounding them.  "Well you heard the King!  Fall in!  Swift march!"

The thousand men all marched out the doors in two great columns of steel.  They moved quickly despite their numbers, and soon the messenger was the only soldier left in the room.

"You aren't actually going to fight, are you?" Logan asked.  The King nodded slowly.

"We have no other choice.  Hallsington is on the border of L'Kal's Empire.  If we don't meet them, here, then they will sweep through the free lands like wildfire.  I cannot let that happen."

"How many men do you have?"  

The King's shoulders sagged.  "Not nearly enough.  With luck we'll be able to hold the enemy off until reinforcements arrive.  Either way, we are going to defend our walls with every breath we have."

Rogue nodded her understanding.  "I've been in seemingly hopeless situations before.  There were times when I was sure I was going to die, so I fought on anyway.  Better to die knowing I had done my best than to surrender to the enemy, and risk betraying my people.  Every one of those times something happened, something I hadn't imagined was possible, and I managed to survive."

"I'm glad you understand," the King said.  "Perhaps you have some ideas that will be of aid?"

"How long will you need to stall until reinforcements arrive?" she asked.

"Two days, if we are lucky.  Three if we aren't."

"Then we need to use every weapon at our disposal, begging with fear."  She smiled slyly.  "And that, King Marcus, is something we mutants are very good at."

"Mutants?"  He cockled his head questioningly.  "I don't follow."

"Kurt, turn off your image inducer," she ordered.

He tapped his watch.  Immediately his figure began to waver before disappearing entirely, exposing the furry elf underneath.  Kurt smiled, showing off his fangs.  The King's eyes widened.

"Well this is interesting.  Can you all do…that?"

"He didn't do anything," Kitty chirped from behind Rogue.  "He really looks like that."

"I see.  Do the rest of you…"

"Look like him?" Rogue finished.  "No.  But we all have powers that could be used to help fight.  Logan has claws that can rip steel, Gambit can blow things up, and Kitty can move through solid objects.  You don't even want to know what I can do."

"Perhaps you will be able to help turn the battle in our favor."  King Marcus waggled a finger at the messenger, ordering him forward.

"My King?"

"Take these men to the armory.  Get them proper battle armor and—"

"Actually we don't wear armor," Logan cut in.  "Hinders our movements. Besides, I don't need it.  I heal fast."

The King considered a moment, then nodded.  "All right.  What about weapons?  Swords, axes, bows?  We could use a few more archers."

"I can shoot," Kurt offered.

"You can?" Kitty and Rogue asked at once.  He shrugged sheepishly.

"Agent Higgs taught me.  I'm better with a rifle, but still, I can hit the target."

"Then you shall have a bow," the King declared.  "What about the rest of you?"

"We know a bit about fencing," Kevin said. 

"So do I," Rogue added.

 "I'll see to it," the soldier said before rushing off.

"I need to go get ready."  The King pointed to a set of small doors of to one side.  "Those lead into a room where you can wait.  Once I'm dressed for battle, and you have your weapons, we will make for the gate."  He saluted Rogue with a fist to his heart before striding out the door.

It didn't take long for the soldier to return with their weapons.  He gave Rogue a weapons belt to hold her sword.  She thanked him, snapping the leather around her waist.  The brass buckle had the now-familiar star motif in the center.  

Almost as soon as they were all armed the King entered, dressed from head to toe in battle armor.  There was a sword at his left hip, and a knife at his right.  Rogue thought he looked better in the armor than he had in his clothes.  

"Are you ready?" he asked without preamble.

"As we'll ever be," Rogue said.  The King nodded.  Any mirth that had been in his expression before was gone now.  He was grim and business-like.  "To the walls, then."

They made good time through the city.  The streets were mostly deserted, save the occasional column of soldiers heading for the walls.  When they saw their king most fell in behind him, and soon they were leading a considerable force.  

Eventually they came to a place where the houses stopped.  There was an empty area beyond them, and past that rose the walls.  They were easily ten-feet deep, and taller than the palace walls.  Guard towers were positioned every few hundred feet or so.  Normally men would be patrolling between the towers, but now there was no need.  There were enough men standing between the towers that any threat would be sighted almost instantly.

King Marcus led them up a flight of stairs to the top of the wall.  Soldiers saluted the King as he passed.  He returned their salutes, offering the occasional word of encouragement.  They halted above the great black gates that led into the city.  General Reece and his men were already there.

"Nice of you to join us, Sire," the General said jokingly.

"Any sign of them, General?"

"Not yet, Sire, but they'll come.  And when they do, we'll make them taste steel."

The King nodded approvingly.  "My plan exactly.  How many men are—" 

A low, long note pierced the air.  

"What was that?" Kurt asked hurriedly.

"The Horns," Reece explained.  "They've been sighted."

Rogue looked over the wall to the plains beyond.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The ground was moving.  At least, that's what it looked like.  Thousands of soldiers covered the ground below, a giant sea of men.  A forest of lances jabbed at the air as they moved forward.  They dwarfed the Paladir army a dozen times over, at least.  They poured over the fields like ants, screaming battle cries as they came.

"Archers!" the King shouted, " Nock arrows!"  Kurt pulled a bow from his quiver and placed it on the bowstring.  Rogue saw that his hands were shaking.  Archers to both sides of them did the same.

"Fire!"

Arrows rained down on the enemy in a massive sheet.  Most of the men were to far away to get hit, but a few fell to the ground in a heap.  The rest kept coming at a steady pace.

"Form three files!" Reece ordered.  "First line fires while the other two are loading.  As soon as they loose their arrows the second line fires, then the third."

The men immediately formed three lines.  Kurt fell in with them, and soon Rogue could no longer see him.  Within seconds they had a constant stream of arrows coming down on the enemy.  They might as well have been rose petals, for all the good they did.  The men simply raised their shields above their heads.  The arrows bounced off uselessly.  As they came archers from the ground fired up at the wall.   Screams to either side alerted Rogue to the wounded up on the wall.  One man took an arrow to the chest.  The sudden force of the blow knocked him off-balance, and he fell backwards of the wall.

Rogue's hands were shaking.  They were almost at the wall, and she could see now that they had huge ladders to scale it with.  Hundreds of them began to rise at once, most with soldiers already climbing them.  The closest ladder was almost on the wall.  There was a ring of steel as men drew their swords.  Then, just as the ladder was about to reach the wall, an explosion rocked the air.  Bits of metal flew everywhere.  The ladder fell back to earth, landing on any unlucky soldiers who hadn't been able to move out of the way.

Gambit tossed another card at the ladder to their left, sending it to the ground as well.  Arrows took down the men raising the great latter metal things, and they toppled down, killing anyone who was on them.  

Despite their efforts several of the ladders were soon clamped to the wall, and black-clad soldiers surged blade-first onto the wall.  Rogue drew her sword in time to block a downward blow from one of the attackers.  She countered, slicing him across his middle.  The man fell to the ground in a bloody heap.  As soon as he was down more came charging after him, swords and battle axes flying.  Rogue stabbed one between the ribs, then turned to take off the arm of another.  A blade in the corner of her eye caught her attention.  She sidestepped, the steel missing her by centimeters.  Without turning she rammed her sword backwards, driving it into the chest of the man.  

They came from all sides, swinging their blades with deadly accuracy.  Blood soon covered the stone walls.  Rogue's vision was red with it.  It stained her sword, dripping from its tip.  

Her arms were getting tired.  The sword was fairly light, but the constant effort was taxing.  Cut.  Jab.  Turn.  Block.  Kill.  Those words soon dominated her thoughts, leaving room for nothing else.  She fought without pause, only dimly aware of the men around her doing the same.  She saw only the enemy.  She heard only their cries of battle, and their screams in death.

A blade caught her arm.  She cut down the man who had wielded it.  Sweat dripped down her face.  She dodged the downward sweep of an axe, thrusting her sword up into his belly.  His mouth fell open in a silent scream.  Rogue gritted her teeth with the effort of pulling the blade out.  A scream rose behind her.  She turned, driving her blade up to its hilt in a man's chest.  

"_Ausierre!_"  She turned, glancing around for the man who had spoken.  He stepped forward.  She didn't recognize him, but that wasn't surprising.  

"Soldier?"

"_Ausierre_, the men are wondering why you haven't used the Amulet yet.  Why aren't you using your powers to stop—"  the soldier's eyes opened wide.  He looked down slowly, taking in the six-inches of steel that had suddenly grown out of his chest.  His mouth opened to scream, but blood gurgled out instead.  He fell forward in a dead heap.

The man behind him smiled at Rogue, twisting his sword this way and that, as if showing it off to her.  

" 'Lo, lass.  Come out to play?"

He swung at her.  Rogue jumped back, out of his reach.  The blade swept by her harmlessly.  She lunged forward, driving her own blade into his filthy little skull.  He collapsed on top of the soldier he had killed moments ago.

No one came at her, at Rogue took the pause in battle to glance around.  A little surprised, she discovered that the fighting had carried her away from the gates.  She began jogging back, cutting down anyone who came within the reach of her blade.

King Marcus and Logan were standing back-to-back, fighting off a ring of enemy soldiers that had managed to isolate them from the army.  The two worked well together, but they had no hope of getting out by themselves.

Rogue glanced around, seeing a man in what she was pretty sure was a captain's uniform.  

"You there!" she called.  The man stabbed the enemy one last time before running over to her.  At seeing the Amulet hanging from her neck he gave her a quick salute.

"My Lady?"

"Gather your men.  The King's been surrounded.  We need to break through their lines."

The Captain nodded.  He turned to his men, calling out orders.  A few dozen men joined him and Rogue.

"Which way?" the Captain asked.  Rogue pointed.  He caught sight of the ring of men, and nodded.

"Form a tight wedge!" Rogue shouted over the din of battle.  Divide the enemies forces, make them scatter!  Do not let them close in on you!"  

"Is that understood?" the Captain demanded.

"Yes, sir!" cried the men as one.

Rogue lifted her sword into the air.   He heart pounded against her ribs.

"To the King!"

They charged.  Enemy soldiers fell beneath their swords, only to be trampled underfoot.  Friendly soldiers saw what they were doing and joined the charge, screaming blood-curdling cries as they went.

They crashed into the ring of men at full tilt, hacking them apart with terrible efficiency.  The enemy lines fell back, then broke completely.  

"Split them apart!" Rogue cried.  "Drive them back!"

Her men broke into two forces, attacking the enemy soldiers on either side to widen the gap.  The enemy tried to get around them, in order to close them in along with the king.  Rogue stabbed a man who jumper out in front of her, then began moving for the King before his body hit the ground.

"Rogue!"  Logan ran to her.  His claws and his clothes were both red with blood.  She doubted that any of it was his, although King Marcus was now sporting a nasty cut across his jaw.

"Excellent timing!" the King said.  He turned to ram his blade up to the hilt in a man's side.  "We were beginning to have a hard time of things."  He twisted the blade, yanking it out of the man with a single tug.  He turned back to her, leaning on the sword like a cane.  "So how have you been?" he asked casually.

Rogue could hardly believe that this smiling man was the same person who had seemed so grim back at the palace.  He was in his element, surrounded by battle.  

"Can't really complain," she said.  A screaming man came at her from the side.  She turned, raising her sword to take off the man's arm.  Before she could bring the sword up for a strike, however, the man halted.

Two feet of steel jutting through a man's chest can have that effect.

The man's eyes rolled back into his head and he fell face-first onto the stone.  The Captain yanked his blade free, wiping some of the blood off on the dead man's clothes.

"Thanks, um…"

"Captain Blain, My Lady," he said.  "And don't mention it."

Rogue nodded.

"Well," the King said casually as he swung his sword, taking off a man's arm, "what do you say we get out of the middle of these dogs, eh?"

"Ya think, bub?"

With the help of Blain's men they were able to either kill or chase off all the men who had been surrounding the King.  Seeing him fight boosted the men's courage, and they redoubled their efforts.  Enemy soldiers fell by the hundreds.  The tide of battle seemed to be shifting.

King Marcus shouted orders, and the men complied eagerly.  The odds were not as grim as they had at first appeared.  The King had the men split up into companies of a few hundred each and spread out along the wall, to slow the enemies advances.  Rogue stayed with Captain Blain and his men, although they followed her orders more than his.  They sliced at the ropes that held the ladders to the walls, pushing them back onto the enemy.  

As she and another soldier shoved a ladder back Rogue saw an explosion go off in the middle of the enemy's ranks.  It was much larger than any explosion ever caused by Gambit's cards.  Apparently he had found bigger and better ammunition.

The ladder fell away from the wall until it was vertical.  It hung that way for a few seconds.  The men who had been climbing up it desperately tried to jump off before it continued its descent to the ground.

A horn sounded.  It wasn't the same as the horns she had heard earlier, and it took Rogue  moment to figure out why: they were the enemy's.  The low, trembling note sounded again, now accompanied by drums.  

"Shiran!" a man shouted.  "Shiran are coming!"

Below them the enemy forces were parting to allow them through.  Unlike everyone else, the Shiran were riding mounts.  Exactly what those mounts were, Rogue feared to guess.

They walked on four legs, with huge paws tipped in curved, eagle-like talons.  Sleek brown fur covered rippling muscles that bulged as the creatures moved.  Their necks were covered by thick manes of golden feathers.  Their faces were dominated by black, hooked beaks that opened in screeching cries.   Pointed ears laid flat atop their heads.  Long tails flicked behind them, sporting black tufts.  The creatures were as big as horses.  There were hundreds of them pouring in, coming at the gates with determined speed.  

"What are those things?" Rogue asked.

"Griffins," Blain answered sullenly.  "They're foul beasts, servants of L'Kal.  They've been known to lay waste to kingdoms.  They relish in killing, almost as much as those accursed Shiran do."  He glanced at the Amulet.  "Perhaps now would be a good time to use the Amulet?"

Rogue was saved from having to answer by the sound of friendly horns.  She recognized them as the call to rally.  A pike bearing the royal standard—two swords crossed over a star—rose into the air, signaling the King's position.  Rogue led the Captain and his men over the wall to the King.

"We need to reinforce the walls!" he shouted.  "The Shiran are bringing in a battering ram.  They're going to break through our gates!  I want anyone who can be spared to guard those gates!  Now!"

Captains shouted orders.  Men poured down the stairs to block the gates.  Looking out over the walls Rogue could see the giant battering ram being pulled by twelve of the griffins.  The thing was monstrous, and would make short work of the gate.  She looked up.  The sunlight was fading.  It was almost night.  She started down the steps with Blain and his men.  The King followed.

Men pushed themselves against the gates to brace them.  They pressed in as tightly as possible, in what Rogue knew would be a futile effort.  King Marcus must have known it also, but he didn't ask the men to stop.  Doing so would be admitting defeat.  The men would lose whatever courage they had left.

The gates shuddered violently as the battering ram hit.  Men fell back, than rushed to brace them once more.

"Hold your positions!" King Marcus shouted to the men at the gates.  He turned to the rest of the soldiers, who stood with swords drawn, preparing to face the enemy.

The King shouted orders to the men.  He set up a line of pike men behind the gates, to slow the griffins when they rode through.  The walls shuddered again.  The gates weren't going to stand much longer.

Rogue looked up at the archers still defending the walls. She tried to pick out Kurt, but he was hidden among the ranks.  She hoped he was okay.  If anything had happened to him…

Rogue shook her head, forcing herself to stop thinking about her little brother.  She focused instead on the trembling gates, which where beginning to crack and buckle under the force of the battering ram.  

The King raised his sword.  

"For our honor!" he cried

The gates bowed inward.  Wooden shards flew off in every direction.

"For our people!"

The sound of the ram was deafening.  A hole was forming in the center of the gates.  The thick beam that ran across them to hold them shut was breaking.

"For the Abbey, the Wildlands, and the free people of the world!  I am calling on you to fight for them!  I am calling on you to fight for your mothers, your sisters, and your daughter yet unborn!"  

The cross-beam broke completely, sending splinters over the men.  The ram broke through the gates.  One more hit, and they would fall open.

The King shook his sword at the sky.  "I know call upon you to fight with me, to die with me, so that they might one day know peace!"

The gates shuddered, and broke.  Hordes of men broke through, led by the mounted Shiran.  The flooded through the sudden opening, screaming battle cries as they came.

The King pointed his sword at the charging enemy.

"For the Star!  Attack!"

*******

_Twang!_  Kurt pulled another arrow from his quiver, knocking it to the string.  He raised the bow, drawing string to cheek.  His eyes found a target.  One of the lion-looking creatures was running for the gate.  He let out his breath slowly, pulling his hand back at the same time.  The arrow left the string, seemingly on its own.  

The creature stumbled and fell, sending its rider to the ground.  

Kurt drew another arrow.

At the beginning he had only tried to disable the enemy, not kill them.  He shot them in the shoulders, or the legs.  He didn't want to kill anyone.  Everything in him said that killing was wrong.  The Professor had always said that nothing could be gained from killing; an eye for an eye left the whole world blind.

That was before they got Kitty.

It was just an hour or so into the battle, long before the gates had fallen.  The ranks of archers had been broken by the forces swarming over the walls.  It had taken awhile to slow the onslaught to the point where they could get re-organized.  

While looking around for the archers Kurt had caught sight of Gambit and Kitty fighting side-by-side with a group of red-cloaked soldiers.  Gambit was no longer limiting himself to throwing cards.  He was using rocks that broke from the wall, helmets of fallen soldiers—anything that was handy.  

Kitty was using her powers against the ladders and grappling hooks used to scale the walls.  She would wait for the ladders to get within reach, then grab onto one, using her powers to phase it.  The men on the ladders suddenly found themselves with nothing to hold onto and fell onto the unforgiving ground.  When she came across grappling hooks Kitty would phaze the wall around them.  The hooks—and the cords tied to them—would fall through the wall to the ground.  

Kurt had been about to call out to her when it happened.  She was turning from the wall, her beautiful brown eyes scanning the battle going on around her, when a blade suddenly exploded from her chest.  

Kurt screamed.  

He teleported to her side, his sudden appearance terrifying the nearby soldiers.  He didn't care.  Kitty was on the ground.  Blood soaked the front of her shirt.  Kurt dropped to his knees beside her, cradling her head in his lap.

"Kitty?  Are you okay?"  It sounded so stupid.  Of course she wasn't okay.  She was bleeding.

"K-Kurt?"  Her voice was weak.  Distant.  But she was alive.

"Kitty, I'm so sorry.  You'll be okay, I promise."

She smiled weakly.  "It doesn't hurt that much," she said.  Her voice was raspy.  "I thought it would hurt.  The movies always make it look so painful.  It's not that bad."  She paused.  "Is it?"

He wanted to scream.  He wanted to cry.

"Kurt, how bad is it?  And don't you dare lie to me."

He glanced down at her chest.  She was torn open.  Kurt fought to keep from gagging.

He forced his eyes back up to meet hers.  "Not bad at all," he lied.  "You'll be back to your old self in no time, Kitty-Cat."  His voice broke, but he couldn't help it, just like he couldn't help the tears making their way down his cheeks.  "You're going to be just fine, I promise."

Kitty smiled.  "You're a rotten liar, Kurt."

"Kitty, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault.  Don't blame yourself.  I don't."  She closed her eyes, and for a moment he was terrified he'd lost her.  

"Kurt?"

His heart leapt.  She was still alive.

"Yes?"

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you."

"I'm listening."

"Kurt, I love you."

Now it was his turn to smile.  "I know."

Her brow furrowed.  "You do?"

Kurt nodded.  "Yup.  I feel the same way."

"You mean…"

"I love you, Kitty Pryde.  Always have."

She laughed.  He stroked her hair softly.  Her eyes fluttered closed as she let out her last breath.

Kurt's eyes stung at the memory.  He no longer cared about killing the enemy.  They had taken Kitty from him.  Death was more than they deserved.  He loosed another arrow, taking down a foot soldier.  

A single tear rolled down his cheek.

Wow.  Okay, that ending surprised even me.  If you feel the need to flame, alright, but please keep the angry mobs to a minimum, kay?  If you kill me, I won't be able to write the sequel.

42 pages.  Take that, Ronin!  Woo!  

And that, friends, is the end of _The Eye of Polyphemus_.  Book two, which is currently untitled, will probably come out sometime in late June or early July.  Don't be surprised if its rated R.

Now the answer to the statue contest: Terry Goodkind's novel, _Faith of the Fallen_.  Which, by the way, is my favorite book of all time.  The _Sword of Truth_ series kicks ass.  You should all go read it right now.  ^_-  We had two winners: lonewolf and writerofmoredoom's older sister.  Congrats, guys!  You both get giant bags of popcorn!  ^_^

OK, time for those review answers!  

Rogue77:  JoA rocks, no?  And it comes on Fridays at eight over here.  Check the CBS website, they should have showtimes.  

DRAGON: I like your enthusiasm.  Here's a chappy just for you.  (Well maybe not JUST you…I mean, it was for a LOT of people, but you're one of them!  I'm gonna shut up now…)

Lyra Eyota: yeah I liked that ending too.  ^_-   The banter part was a lot of fun.  Made those three years of German with the psycho-Nazi-teacher-from-hell worthwhile…not that I'm ever going back, mind you!

Krazy Xanadu: Yer back!  YAAAAAY!!  I keep meaning to read your story…I'll do it ASAP, I promise.  And I figured a CIA agent would need to know several languages.  (On Alias Sidney can speak German, French, Russian, Italian…and those are just the one's I know of!"

katie: your will is my command!  

Lonewolf: DING DING DING!!!  We have a winner!!  Yippee!  Cool name, by the way.  Wolves are awesome.  

Writerofmoredoom's sister: FINALLY!  I was beginning to think no one would ever figure it out!  Kudos on being the first one.  I'm glad you're enjoying the story.  Hey, what does writerofmoredoom think of it?

Ishandahalf: Yes, she has control.  Oh, I've added your line "quick like a bunny on crack" to my bio, cause its so freakin' cool!  

UniversalAnimeGirl: Wow.  Now THAT is a review!  Dang!  OK, first off thanks for sticking with the story.  I'll be the first to admit that those first couple of chapters aren't all that great.  I think I've really improved.  (Practice practice!)  Heh, one time I was on the bus and my friend was telling this story that included the words "what's cooler than cool?" and some Freshman in the back yelled "ICE-COLD!"  Another time I was talking about the Ghetto Queen (Crazed Maniac 02's fic, 'Screwed in Shizzam') and the guy goes "Afro-Man!"…now Afro-Man has a cameo in my Sonic story…LONG LIVE THE RANDOMNESS!  OK, Rogue will NEVER be Ms. Happy Sunshine, although she may occasionally be Ms. Touch-me-and-that-hand-will-never-touch-anything-again.  (I love Trinity!  Matrix is awesome!)  Now her personality is going to change some in this story, but it'll be more a result of just growing up and maturing than anything else.  You might detect a hint of the Rogue from the old cartoon just because I'm such a fan of that version.  But don't worry, the Goth will still be…well…Gothic.  You know I never finished the Hobbit?  Or Return of the King, I'm sad to say.  Tolkien is hard to wade through.  The movies are excellent though.  And ANYONE who likes my fic should watch Alias.  Jennifer Garner is AMAZING.  I'll try to work on the homonyms.  'Of Beast and Blade' by scribbler.  Got it.  Between that and 'Annihilation' by afternoons should be pretty full.  ^_-

Anee: OK I know your review was fo chapter 7 but what the hell?  Yes, Gambit has lots of cards.  He's a little weird that way.

The Last Ronin: 42 pages.  Promise made, promise kept.  OK as far as the Romyness I just couldn't help myself.  Besides, what would you do if you could suddenly touch after yeasrs of being doomed to a life without human contact?  Huh, huh!  Oh, I said you were closest 'cause you guessed it came from one of my books.  Then writerofmoredoom came in and blew your response out of the water, so…no popcorn for you.  Now where's my poem?  Pay up, sucka!  (Oh, you REALLY need to read the XME fic 'Annihilation.'  It's a Rogue-centric AU story that rocks.  Its on my favorites list.  Well, what're you waiting for?!)

Spicybear: Is this soon enough?  If not…there really isn't anything I can do about it at this point. ^_^

Thank you all for reading and reviewing.  Your support has kept me going when I normally would have abandoned this fic long ago.  Thanks for keeping me in line.  Your praises and helpful criticisms have meant a lot to me these past few months…I can't believe this is the last chapter.

Well, keep your eyes open for book two.  Until then, I'm outtie.

~TT-X 


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